


Intertwined Destinies

by reveetoile



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Dragons, Gen, Historical, Magical Realism, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2019-07-27 17:15:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16223672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reveetoile/pseuds/reveetoile
Summary: Nino's family was killed in a raid. Nino promised himself that he would take revenge on the murders of his family. On the same day, he found a baby dragon whose mother was killed as well. Nino takes care of him and wants to bring him to safety. (Oh God... This summary is bad sorry)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So a new story from me. Let's hope I can keep it up and update my other older stories as well. I really want to finish everything I started after all.

His breathing was laboured as he climbed over a tree stump. His eyes hurt from the tears he tried to hold back. Nino wiped his face with the sleeve of his travelling cloak. He could smell the smoke in the air, and he imagined that he could hear the cries of the people he left behind. 

Nino stumbled finally and muffled a pained cry as he landed on the soft, slightly wet forest floor. He tried to get up but fell down again shortly after he was back on his feet. They were shaking too much to be able to carry him. He gave up after the third try and moved around to look into the valley beneath him. 

The tears were burning his eyes, and they overflowed when he closed his eyes. He couldn’t bear the sight of his burning home. He sniffled and hit half of his face into his knees as he pulled the coat tighter around himself. He rubbed his eyes angry with himself. 

He had promised not to look back to run and run until he was safe and secure. But he wasn’t able to continue running and hoped that he was safe already. 

Nino sniffed a little as he watched his home burning slowly to the ground. He knew that all people in there were dead and he felt terrible. His grandparents, his parents and all the few loyal servants they had. His gaze hardened as he thought about the yells and death that happened down there. His grandfather was pulling him aside and telling him to flee, never to look back and to remember that they loved him whatever happened. 

Nino had wanted to stay. He hadn’t wanted to run and flee like a coward, but he had promised to do as they told him. Nino took a deep breath and stood up. He held onto the tree as he wobbled slightly and hissed in pain as he put weight on his left ankle. He probably sprained it when he had fallen down.

Nino wouldn’t let the others win, he wouldn’t forget his upbringing he vowed as he watched what was left of his home. He couldn’t go back to give his family a traditional burial. His eyes glowed slightly yellow before he closed them whispering a prayer to the old gods under his breath. It was the least he could do after all. 

He took two steps deeper into the forest - a lot calmer now than earlier. Somehow he knew he was safe. He had wept for so long earlier. If someone were following him, they would have already found him. But they probably had thought the child of the cook was him. He felt a pang of guilt in his heart at that thought, but he knew he couldn’t change it now. 

Nino ignored the pain in his ankle as he took step after step deeper into the forest to a slight stream. He used to play in the woods when he was younger. He had always felt protected here, and the feeling was back now again. He took off his leather boot when he arrived at the stream and put his slightly swollen foot into it. 

He leant back and sighed deeply. He was sure that nothing was broken, but that didn’t make it much better. Nino looked into the sky and closed his eyes. He needed to decide what to do next and where to go.

He was brought out of his thoughts quite suddenly by a loud noise. His eyes opened, and he looked around with wide eyes. 

Just a minute later he came face to face with another face. His eyes wandered over the small golden blue body of the dragon. Nino smiled softly and held out his hand for it to sniff at. Sensing no threat from Nino it came closer and Nino stroke the beautiful scales softly. It was a baby he realised when the small creature rolled himself up on his lap and let out a soft, whiny noise. 

“Where is your mother?” he asked, and a sad thrill answered him. Nino caressed it’s head softly and bit his lips when pictures were forced into his mind. He realised that the small dragon had lost its mother because of a raid and he felt sorry for it. People had killed its mother because they were scared of them the little dragon on his lap had been able to flee just as he had been.

“Humans are silly,” he whispered and got an agreeing noise as an answer. His grandparents always had told him tales about the old gods, the dragons and magic all over the world, it had diminished when people began to fear the dragons, wars had begun, and people who believed in the old gods were hunted and killed just like his family. 

“Stay with me?” he asked in a low voice and smiled when the dragon answered with a positive lilt and robbed down to weave his tail around his injured foot. There was a golden glow for a moment and heat before the pain subsided. 

“Thank you. Do you have a name?” he asked, and again a picture of a rainbow was put into his mind. He laughed and nodded. 

“Niji it is. How fitting of one of your kind. We need a safe place to sleep,” Nino decided when the pain was all gone, and he carefully pulled his foot back from the stream to put on his leather shoes again and stood. He put Niji on his shoulder and rubbed its head softly. 

“Hold on tight, little one.”


	2. Chapter 2

Nino woke up by the loud chatter of Niji and groaned. It was still dark outside, he observed which was good he supposed. 

“Please calm down, Niji,” he told him. Nino hugged the small dragon baby and patted it until it calmed down again. “Had a bad dream?” 

Niji cuddled up beside him, and he kissed its head. “I know you want to cuddle, but I actually have to get up and pray then I have to look for food for your little tummy don’t I? Or will you actually manage to catch your own food?”

A thrill was all the answer he got. Niji tumbled off his lap to try to catch its tail. 

Nino rolled his eyes but laughed out loud as he stood up. “Thought so.” He went outside the little hole they used as a hide-out for now to greet the sun. He sat down and closed his eyes to say his morning prayers and think back to the last few days. 

—

Niji had rolled himself around his neck. It was light luckily and warm. The best part was that he wasn’t alone anymore, so that was good. Niji had fallen asleep shortly after Nino had started on the trek through the forest again in search of somewhere they were safe. 

Nino hid into the underwood so that he wasn’t seen but was able to keep track of the stream. He had been scared to go too deep into the forest because water would be vital for them to survive. Shortly before it was dark, he found a cave. 

Nino hadn’t been sure if it was safe to enter it, but it was getting dark, and therefore it was dangerous to go any further, and he knew that he wouldn’t hold up much longer. He was getting tired. 

Niji roused a bit and nudged his cheek with its snout. The small dragon huffed a bit, and a warm swish of breath ran over his face. 

“You think it’s safe?” he asked as silently as he could. 

There was another nudge to his cheek, and Nino decided to take that as a yes. Niji was born in the forest, so he trusted him. Also, Nino really wasn’t looking forward to trudging through the forest in the darkness. So he decided to take a chance. 

Nino filled up his water flask with the clear water and freed his small pouch from his belt. He opened it and pulled out a few nuts and berries to eat dinner and feed Niji who sniffed at the things he offered him and scrunched up its nose. 

“I know you normally eat insects or fish. But it’s all I have. Either you eat this, hunt or go hungry,” he scolded lightly. Niji looked from him to the food and back again and then sank down on the stone but ate what there was. Afterwards, it fell asleep in his arms, and Nino tried to calm his heart to that he would be able to sleep as well. 

—

That’s where they still were. Nino had looked around and decided it was the safest they could get right now. Niji was still too small to travel long distances, and Nino knew he was still distraught deep in his mind. He needed to plan. Otherwise, he could end up dead very early. 

Nino opened his eyes again as he felt the warm rays of sunshine on his face. Niji was outside looking into the stream and trying to catch one of the fishes swimming in there. A giggle tore out of him when instead of grabbing the fish with its paw it fell head first into the stream with a panicked shriek. 

Nino jumped to his feet to run to the water and catch the small dragon before the current could take it. It thrilled unhappily, and Nino took it on his shoulder. 

“Hold on tight,” he asked the dragon and waited until it had shifted around him and he felt the small claws in his shoulder. 

Nino left the cold water and took a few steps to the left. He knelt down and opened pulled out a rope. “I explained to you already that I built this to catch your beloved fishes,” he explained in amusement and lifted the cage of the water. In there were a few fishes for him and Niji, and before he was able to pull them out, Niji caught one of the fishes and scuttled away with its catch, devouring it. 

“Silly kid.”

Nino rolled his eyes and started to prepare breakfast for himself, leaving a bit out for Niji who eat its fill and then rolled up beside him to take a nap. Nino tickled its tummy but then let it sleep peacefully. He put his cloak over the small creature and sat leant back against the stones of the mountain the cave was in. He pulled over his pack to look through it. 

Nino sighed as he pulled out a map and carefully read it. His grandfather had shoved the bag into his arms before forcing him to leave and run. It had all the necessities he would need for travelling. 

The books about the old kings and Gods were there together with all the maps of their country. Nino didn’t know how old they were exactly, but he hoped that it was still kind of recent. He looked over at Niji and smiled. He probably should make sure that he brought Niji to its kind before going to the cities of mankind. He didn’t want to bring it into danger. Also, he didn’t feel old enough to care for another being really.

He leant back and looked into the sky. He was just sure that Niji won’t agree with him. The baby dragon had already gotten too used to him. But that was for another time. First, he needed to ponder where the next safe nest could be. The one above this forest had been Niji’s home, and as far as Niji had shown him, it had already been thoroughly destroyed. 

“Gods, please show me my destiny. I feel lost and don’t know where to go anymore,” he whispered and closed his eyes. He just wished he had a bit of guidance for his future steps.


	3. Chapter 3

Nino packed all of his things up, only leaving the old map his grandfather had packed for him outside. It had taken him a few days until he was able to make sense out of it but now he was quite sure he knew where he stayed and where the next dragon horst should be located. He just hoped it wasn’t raided.

“Niji come, we have to leave. It’s getting colder, and it’s not safe out here any more. Bears might come looking for a place to stay during the winter and food will get scarce,” he explained and went to his makeshift cage to pick it up. The fishes would hold up for a few days for Niji he supposed and for himself, he had still a bit of dried meat and berries. 

Nino preferred plants and berries to fish or meat because that was the way he had been raised up. He honoured all kinds of life and only took what he needed to survive and sometimes that included meat. Nino knew Niji needed meat to survive though, so even if it hurt him to take more than one for himself, he carefully packed them all in a paper. He was sure that Niji would be able to finish them before they got bad. 

A thrill warned him that Niji was coming up to him and he smiled when the small dragon made himself comfortable around his neck and shoulders. 

“Are you comfortable?” he asked the dragon that nuzzled its snout at his cheek. “Good then let's go ne?”

Nino stroked the warm head softly as he shouldered his bag carefully as not to hit Niji and left the clearing that had been their home for the last few days. Nino looked back once again and imagined that he still could see the smoke from the fire that destroyed his home. Nino closed his eyes as he fought against his tears and the memories and then turned around to take the first steps away from here. 

Niji cried out sadly and in distress as it curled around him even closer. For Niji it was the first time it would leave its home as well.

—

Niji was warm around his shoulders, and it was a comfortable presence at his side.

“Niji, if we meet humans can you change your form already or get invisible?”

It licked his cheek shoot its head with an almost inaudible thrill. 

Nino smiled and caressed its head. “Don’t be sad. You are still a baby after all. You will learn to fly when you get older. We have to be careful that we are not seen by any other people then though. So we will be slower as I can’t step on the road.”

Niji moved around him a bit nervously at those words. 

“Aww don’t be scared. I’m used with walking through the forest and will be careful, ne? Also, you can help me to locate the water because I can’t follow the river as well. If there are humans they are either on the path or at the river,” he explained and played with the tail of the dragon. 

Niji settled down beside him again and calmed down. 

Nino felt the baby fell to sleep again soon after and he moved his head to kiss its head. He looked at the golden tail around his hand and smiled. 

He should be scared of it but Niji was so cute and small that he just wanted to protect it. Also, his family had always told him to trust his instincts, and they told him that he was safe with Niji. 

Niji wouldn’t hurt him and neither would any other dragon. He smiled as he looked at his map and stroke their crest. 

—

The dragon horst was a two day march away but since Nino needed to take more breaks with Niji and couldn’t take the well-trodden path it took him almost a week until he arrived the bottom of the mountain. He lifted his head to look up until the top to perhaps see if there were dragon above. The thought of climbing it up to be disappointed was tiring but since there were only a few children around and the adults would know to hide their presence he couldn’t see any. 

Nino shrugged and tied the bag tighter around himself. “Niji can you climb?”

As an answer, the small dragon held on tighter. 

Nino sighed since he had almost thought that would be the answer but stroked the head softly so that the small dragon wouldn’t be sad. “It’s okay. Just make sure that you will hold on tight. I can’t hold you and climb at the same time.”

Nino winced when he felt the claws digging into his skin, but at least the dragon did as it was told and Nino started to climb up the mountain. He hoped that the dragons - if there were any - would sense one of their kin and help them reach the top and not kill him on sight.

The climb up was hard just as Nino had expected. Yes, he had been outside quite often because his parents had told him to make his body stronger. But he had also always been quite lazy, and climbing mountains were probably never easy. Even less when he had to do it with a baby dragon on his back. The harsh winter air made it hard to grab the juts that made the climb possible, to begin with. 

Niji cried out now and then or touched his cheek with its snout and Nino was thankful for the energy the dragon gave him without realising. Still, the way to the top was long. Longer than Nino had thought.

He swore when his frozen fingers slipped from the cold stone and his second hand was too weak to hold him and Niji up. Still, he tried to find a new hold as soon as he realised that he was falling backwards. 

Niji cried out in fear when Nino fell, and Nino grabbed the small dragon to curl around it. If he fell and held Niji like that at least the dragon might survive, he thought as he closed his eyes to brace himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Kazunari woke up to the agitated chirping of Niji. He groaned when he tried to sit up, but all of his body hurt badly. 

‘What happened?’ he thought in utter confusion and lifted his hand. Even that hurt badly. He groaned as he managed to open his eyes just to be face to face with Niji. 

“Niji please,” he muttered and tried to push it away at least a bit. He looked into the sun shining down to him and finally managed to sit up a little. Kazunari groaned in pain and pressed his eyes close for a second to get his bearings back.

“What happened?” he asked slowly not really expecting an answer. He jumped in shock when he got one. 

“You fell.” The voice was booming and seemed to come from everywhere. He held his head as it hurt badly suddenly. He breathed in deeply and looked around. 

“And why am I alive? Or am I dead?”

“You are very much alive little prince. Your time hasn’t come yet. You rescued our youngling so of course, we couldn’t let you die. But the cry of the fledgeling was weak, so we didn’t hear earlier. I’m sorry.”

Kazu needed a while to process the words, and when he did, he sat up straight. “Fledgling? Youngling? What? Am I…” he stopped talking when laughter erupted in his head. 

“Yes, young prince. You are in our realm. We allowed you entry here.”

“Thank you,” he whispered slowly. He was glad that they rescued his life. He really was. He would just be happier if he wouldn’t hurt so much. The fall had probably been pretty bad.

“You should rest. You are hurt. You protected the fledgeling. We weren’t even sure you would be able to wake up again. But it shows how tough you are, little prince.”

“I’m called Kazunari. Don’t call me little prince,” he muttered, but the laugh echoing in his head told him the voice wouldn’t stop calling him that. He sighed and leant back against the wall behind him. 

He looked around a bit more before smiling when Niji found its place on his lap. “Are you okay?” he asked the baby dragon. 

It chirped happily, and he petted it softly. He was happy that he had been able to rescue it at least. He closed his eyes. It was comfortable and warm here, he thought as he fell asleep against the rock. 

—

The next time he woke up he was greeted by an older dragon. He rubbed his face to wake up thoroughly and was surprised that Niji had left its place on his lap. 

“The fledgeling is playing at the stream.”

“Oh, okay,” he whispered and coughed a little. He blinked when a bowl filled with fresh water appeared before his eyes and the dragon in front of him moved around. The dragon changed its appearance, and Kazu was glad when it got smaller. It was more comfortable to look at it like that than in its standard form. 

Kazunari drank the water, closing his eyes as he felt more and more refreshed with each sip. 

“Are you feeling better?”

“A little. My throat was parched,” Kazunari agreed. The dragon seemed to smile at his words.

“You are really strong, little prince.”

Kazunari laughed at those words and shook his head. “I’m clearly not. I almost died climbing a mountain.”

“A difficult climb,” the dragon answered before bowing its head slightly. “But I forgot to introduce myself. I’m called Morga, and you are in my lair. We are happy to welcome you here.”

“I won’t stay long. I’m glad that you allowed me to stay here for so long. But I don’t belong into your realm. I belong in my world, and I need to go there to see what will await me.”

“You are very welcome here, little prince. And your kind belongs here just as much as we do,” the dragon explained in a soft voice, and somehow Kazunari decided that it was probably female.

“I…”

“You don’t have to answer now. But reconsider leaving so soon. It will be a harsh winter down there.”

Kazu hummed in an answer and leant back. He felt tired again. 

“Your body is recovering, I see. Drink a bit more and then go back to sleep. Next time you awake, you should be able to walk and eat again.”

“Thank you… But what exactly happened when I fell?”

“Your body broke, and for a moment you were closer to death than to alive. We induced your body in sleep for a few days to merge your bones back together. That’s why it hurts so much. It’s still not completely healed. But as I said you are strong, and your body is tough. Just as it should be for one of your kind.”

Kazunari winced when he heard that and closed his eyes with a hiss. That explained why his body hurt as it did. Normally his injuries healed fast. Of course, those felt stiff for a moment afterwards, but he had never experienced something like this before. 

“What about Niji?”

“You protected the fledgeling with your body. It was completely fine.”

“That’s good. I wanted to bring it home. It shouldn’t be alone. No baby should be alone.”

“It had never been alone in your care,” the voice said as he closed his eyes. “But sleep now. We’ll talk more on a later date,” Morga promised. 

Nino slid down at the wall and moved to his side putting his head on his arm as he fell asleep. He felt something sliding over his body as the pain disappeared for the moment. He was sure that it would come back as soon as he woke once more but for now, it was like heaven. 

Niji found its way to his side again as he slept and he opened his eyes for a small moment when he felt Niji shuffle closer and put an arm around the little dragon to hold it close. He would miss Niji when he was on his own again, but he knew it was better cared for here.


	5. Chapter 5

Kazu sat just outside of the cave where Morga had brought him to rest and treat his wounds. His body felt fine again, and all the bones inside his body were mended and healed finally. It was time to leave. 

Kazu ruffled his hair and rubbed his face he wanted to say goodbye to Niji and tell the small dragon to behave and grow strong here with its friends. But it was probably better to leave without it knowing.

He stood up to go back and get his small bag and leave. When Kazu turned around, he wasn’t that surprised to be eyes to eyes with Morga. 

“Already leaving little prince?” the dragon asked. 

He shrugged and held the strap tightly between his hands. “I don’t belong here.”

“Ridiculous. You belong here the same as we do.”

Kazu stopped at what he was doing and watched the dragon in confusion. “I don’t understand,” he whispered in the end. He was honestly confused and overwhelmed. 

Yes, his grandfather told him everything about the old Gods, the dragons and the magic surrounding these creatures but he didn’t understand where his place ins this all was.

The dragon chuckled at his confusion. “It’s surprising you did so well without knowing much.”

“My grandfather gave me these old maps. He got them from his parents, he said. Your nest was written in there, and he taught me not to be scared of dragons. I just wanted to make sure that Niji is safe with its family. It’s hard to live without a family,” he explained sadly. 

“And what is your goal now little prince?”

Kazu shrugged in confusion as he tried to think of something. But his head was empty right now. There was a loud sigh that resonated in his body.

“What do you know about the history of your family?” Morga finally asked. 

Kazu nibbled on his lower lip and sat down as he was moved further into the cave again. He leant against the rock and frowned in confusion. 

“My great-grandparents believed strongly in the old ways, and the old Gods and the new king decided to forbid that belief. They didn’t want to stop practising the ways and were killed. My grandparents were able to flee. Therefore from that on we lived in that small hut deep inside the woods.”

Kazu rubbed his face thoughtfully. “I grew up with those beliefs. I know that the dragons are there to protect the world from the dark elements that look to enslave humans and destroy the world. But somehow people got it confused and thought you would destroy us. I also know that you can do magic as you are deeply magical beasts.”

“The second part is true. The first one not so much. I’m surprised your family never told you,” Morga said thoughtfully and settled down. She folded her wings, and Kazu was surprised at how small she could make herself. 

“Then you are in for a History lesson. Would you agree to stay for a little bit longer?”

“I think I have no choice,” Kazu said with a giggle as Niji found its way to them and settled down on his lap. It rolled up, and Kazu caressed it’s back until it fell asleep. He loved that dragon so much. 

“Niji has chosen you and bonded with you it seemed,” Morga said, and Kazu blinked. 

“What?”

“I will explain it later. Now first I should tell you who you are since your family neglected it. Probably to protect you, silly humans.”

Nino wanted to argue, but he realised that he couldn’t say anything. He was confused and didn’t know what was wrong and what was right.

— 100 years ago — 

“They are killing the dragons,” the woman, Ninomiya Kazumi, said with a sorrowful look in her eyes as she observed the flying creatures on the sky. There were less which each day. They were hiding from the humans that were trying to hunt them down. 

Warm hands laid down on her shoulders, and she leant back against her husband. “Is it that bad?” he asked. 

Kazumi rolled her eyes and pulled the loose folds of her kimono tighter around herself. 

“Don’t tell me you aren’t feeling more tired lately?”

“Yes, I do, my love,” Aoki said and took one of her hands in his own. The fingers were slimmer now and looked older. Of course, he felt the magic surrounding them swindle down. But he had thought that most dragons just vanished to be safer again. 

“Dark clouds are rising,” Kazumi added with a sigh and stepped out from his embrace when she heard a loud thrill. Her small golden dragon had come back. 

A light engulfed her and Aoki stepped back to leave her be for the moment. His steps were slower than they used to be. His old age finally caught up with him - another sign that their time was slowly over. 

In the beginning, he and Kazumi had both thought that it was just their time. Their child was old enough to step up to take the reign of their beloved kingdom. But as the dark clouds grew closer and there was talk about a warrior fighting his way through their city. He didn’t know if they could withstand the onslaught, not if more dragons lost their lives.

Before he could enter his room, he heard quick steps and turned around. “Kazumi, what’s wrong?”

“They’ll arrive at the end of the week. Kaori showed me where they were right now. We don’t have much time,” she explained hurriedly. 

“Tell Kazuki to get the bags we prepared and leave with his family. I want them to be as safe as they could be.”

Aoki nodded and did as he was told. He watched his son and his family leave. He prayed to the Gods to protect them. There was nothing more that they could do. 

— 

Like Kaori had said at the end of the week the dark knight arrived. It was a short fight since they had sent all surviving dragons that swore to protect their family to hide in their nests. Only Kaori and Naoki, Aoki’s dragon, stayed with them. 

It never crossed the minds of their bonded dragons to leave them even if it meant that they would be killed. They didn’t know which kind of weapon they used, but the dragons seemed to be vulnerable to them. 

When Naoki was killed, Aoki felt as if he was stabbed. Kazumi sat beside him and took his hand in his own. 

“We will die, right?” he asked as she calmly nodded.

“I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. But I didn’t want to see the pain in your eyes,” she whispered. She called Kaori to them and hugged her small dragon close. Kaori was no dragon that would be useful in a fight. “Flee?” She asked her. But the dragon shook her head. Kazumi closed her eyes at that. She had already known that answer, but she wanted to try nevertheless. 

“Will the children be safe?”

“Kazuki will live a long life and will have made peace with everything when he dies,” she promised. 

“That’s good.”

“The kingdom?”

“Will get a new king. It will be a new time I can’t tell much about it because it won’t concern us. I’m sorry.”

Aoki nodded and closed his eyes as he squeezed her soft hand in his own. He lifted it to his lips to kiss the fingers lovingly. 

Kazumi leant against him and closed her eyes. They stayed like that and when their room was invaded the only thing the strangers could identify were their deaths. 

— Today — 

“You are the heir of the Ninomiya kingdom, Kazunari,” Morga ended, and he blinked in utter confusion. 

“What? But…”

“We are magical beings, Kazunari, that’s true. And your family hid to be safe. But you are just as magical. I don’t know why your family thought it better not to teach you the basics. Even without us dragons you are able to use your magical abilites. Not for grand things but for small things. It’s in your blood.”

“My parents couldn’t use magic.”

“They never learnt. Your grandparents didn’t teach them either. But since you already bonded with Niji, you need to learn how to use your magical abilities. It’s better for Niji as well.”

“What do you mean with bonded?” Kazu asked finally and caressed Niji’s head when it moved on top of him. He looked at it until it calmed down and smiled a little. 

“Niji belongs to you, and you belong to Niji. I’m sorry little prince, but your lives are combined now. You can use great power if taught correctly. You will be able to live a long life but you have protected Niji and Niji will protect you. If one of you are hurt the other will feel the pain, if one dies, you will feel it as well. Niji will die when you die. If Niji dies it will be as if a part of you dies,” Morga explained carefully. 

“How did this work? I never agreed to a bond or anything.”

“It’s not your choice. We dragons decide if we want to bond to your kind. Your blood calls out to us dragons and Niji decided to bond with you. Niji will follow you every where because it decided to do so. If you leave Niji alone for a long while or won’t allow it to be close to you. Niji will die out of grief.”

Kazu’s eyes widened at those words, and he hugged the dragon closer. He didn’t want the small dragon to die.

“How do I learn?” he asked finally. He didn’t know what he should do in future, but for now, he should probably learn so that Niji would get stronger and stronger. 

“We can teach you, little prince.”

“Please don’t call me that. I’m not a prince, I never was.”

“It’s your fate, little prince. And I will call you as I deem right.”

Kazu rolled his eyes but nodded. It wasn’t as if he could change the mind of a dragon. He had learnt that the hard way already with Niji because he was quite sure that he had told the baby dragon that he wanted to bring it home where it was safe, and it decided to bond with him instead. 

“I will leave you alone with your thoughts, little prince. And one recommendation: Don’t try to forget everything it will haunt you and only hurt more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it's not as boring and bad as I fear ^^


	6. Chapter 6

Kazu sighed softly as he hugged Niji close to his body. He caressed the head of the chirping dragon and watched it carefully. 

“You are such a brat. I told you I would bring you home, and still, you decide to bond with me?” he scolded it slightly. 

Niji seemed to grin at his words and moved his tail happily. 

“I wasn’t complimenting you,” Nino said with a roll of his eyes. Niji looked at him with big eyes and then jumped on him. Kazu groaned as he felt the body collide with his and fell back against the wall. He groaned as he hit the back of his head and put a hand to the back of it. He frowned when he realised that he was bleeding and shook his head. “Ouch,” he mumbled.

Niji chirped sadly and rubbed its face against his shoulder. Nino sighed and caressed his head again lovingly when he felt the magic of the dragon flew through his body and healed the small cut on his head. 

“Thank you Niji,” he whispered and closed his eyes to remember the feeling of the magic flowing inside of his body. It had felt so familiar and comfortable. His body seemed to respond to Niji's magic, and he felt his fingers twitch at it. 

Perhaps magic was closer to him than he had allowed himself to think. He sighed and lied down with Niji in his arms. He needed to think about everything that he learnt today. 

“Did you know who I am, Niji? When we met? Is it why you showed yourself to me and healed me?” he asked.

Niji chirped and nodded slightly. A warm blow of air went over his face when it snorted. Kazu smiled and observed it slowly. 

“So you knew I wouldn’t mean any harm, huh? I was surprised, but I thought that you weren’t able to hide because you were too small.”

Niji shrugged a bit, and Nino interpreted that as being half right. Niji wasn’t as strong yet since it was quite young. But it wasn’t as if it were utterly helpless. Kazu should have known. When they travelled together, they would probably get stronger together. But first, he needed to understand what his heritage meant. 

“I wonder why my parents never told me about their real past. Why did they lie?” he asked slowly and hid his face at Niji’s warm skin. 

The dragon chirped comfortingly, and Nino felt the warmth spread throughout him. It was possible that his family just wanted to live in peace and safety and that would be okay, he thought. He didn’t know why he wasn’t allowed to feel that way, but perhaps he still could go back… or not. Kazu shuddered as the memory of the fire he had seen from far away, and he was scared to go there and about what would meet him there. 

“There is no chance that my parents survived somehow is there?” he asked almost inaudibly. Niji chirped and nudged his cheek.

“Stop it!” Kazu giggled because it tickled and he hugged Niji close as he closed his eyes and saw the burnt bodies of his family. Tears ran down his cheeks, and he hid his face against the skin of the dragon. He knew that he was only hoping for a miracle. He knew what the truth was and he was sure that the dragons here would be able to tell him what had happened, but he didn’t want to ask. 

Kazu sighed and kissed the soft skin of Niji’s head. “Let’s try to get some sleep. If Morga wants to train me from tomorrow on I should be fit, or she will kill me, probably,” he mumbled. Niji chirped softly, and Kazu swore that it sounded just like a giggle. 

—

Kazu fell asleep soon after talking with Niji and was awoken early by Niji again. He caressed Niji’s head and smiled when Niji nudged his face before letting it go since it wanted to go outside play with its friends or whatever Niji did when it was out. 

Kazu didn’t know what Niji did in its free time, but he knew that he would get answers when he asked. But it was Niji’s decision to do what it wanted. 

Kazu sighed and got up when he realised that the sun was about to come up. He left the cave and went to the small river to wash before wearing a new kimono. He had been provided by a few of those by the dragons, and they were made of fine cloth. They were really beautiful, and Kazu thought they were mostly too beautiful for him, so he tended to choose only the ones without many decorations. 

He made sure that the kimono was closed tightly before leaving again and sat on a small stone close to the river in the sun. He closed his eyes to clear his mind and use the beginning morning for his prayers. 

Just as he had finished Morga appeared behind him. Kazu opened his eyes and looked at the dragon with a smile. 

“So did you decide, little prince?”

“Yes. I can’t leave Niji alone. Also, I want to do the best I can to make sure that you can live in peace again,” he said slowly and then bowed in front of the big creature. 

“I’d like you to teach me,” he continued looking up again.

“Very well. Then follow me, little prince. I will teach you for now. You and Niji can reconnect tonight and train together on a later date.”

“What about Niji?”

“Niji is learning about our ways,” Morga explained. 

Kazu smiled at that and inclined his head. “I bet he has a lot of fun.”

“Indeed.”

Kazu smiled at the thought and followed Morga to a free space. He was surprised how big this place was, but he was almost sure that it had a lot to do with the dragon’s magic surrounding it all. 

“Very smart,” Morga said, and Kazu looked up surprised. 

“What?”

“I’m sorry little prince. But we can read your thoughts,” she explained.

Kazu hummed softly in understanding. 

“Sit down little prince. First, you need to understand our history,” the dragon began, and Kazu sat down. He put his legs to his chest and put his head on top of his knees. 

He watched as Morga sat down in front of him and observed the big dragon. He was amazed that they could hide in their world so easily as big as they were.

He listened to Morga’s tale of the old Gods that he already knew from his grandparents. He smiled as he closed his eyes. He had always loved to hear about them, and with Morga, he could see the happenings right in front of his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I write about the Gods or should I just skip storytime and the training and get on with the real story?


	7. Chapter 7

Kazu stood at the top of the mountain and looked down to the vast fields under him. He took a deep breath as he put a strand of hair behind his ear. The sun shone brightly and warmly down on him, but he could feel the shift that had begun in the world slowly coming closer and settling around them. The dragons slowly but surely had left their nests and housings, fleeing from oppressive lords who have all but forgotten about their old ways. 

“Doesn’t it hurt?” he asked when he felt Morga settling down behind him. “Seeing them destroying the thing you gifted them? Forgetting about the debt we have to you?”

The dragon laughed, and he finally turned around to meet with warm eyes that looked him over softly. “Little Prince, we don’t need to be praised like Gods. So we don’t mind. We just wanted to live peacefully with you humans. So no we do not think you have a debt to us. We created this world as you have learnt and you came to populate it.”

Kazunari nodded but let out a sigh. For him, they were still the old Gods he learnt so much about. Even if he now knew them for years already. He smiled when he heard the big thrill of Niji and looked up to see the dragon descend from the sky. 

Niji draped itself around his shoulders, and Kazunari closed his eyes as warmth enveloped him. Niji was always so warm and just very comfortable to be with. 

“Little Prince, it’s time to go,” Morga said, making Kazu look at her again. A deep frown settled on his face. He didn’t want to go. He wanted to protest and stay here protected by the dragons that had become his family. But before he could even voice out his thoughts Morga’s laugh settled on him. 

“Little Prince… Don’t be sad. Yes, you belong to us, but you also belong to humankind. You have grown up into a fine man, and I don’t think we taught you badly, did we?”

Kazunari shook his head and a soft smile at her words. “No you taught me well,” he replied and stroked Niji’s head as it butted against him. “I have to face the world after hiding here,” he whispered and looked down again. 

Still, Kazunari didn’t know if he wanted to go down there get to know the people that killed his family and hunted down these beautiful creatures. He couldn’t believe that they were worth the hope Morga and the rest put into them, but he would see for himself. 

He felt a push from Morga against his back and stumbled a little before catching his footing. “Go now and don’t forget what we taught you. We will come for your help if you need it, and you are welcome here if you find the world unfit for your taste.”

Kazunari laughed a little but nodded. He stroked down the folds of his garments. He had gotten used to the fine materials of the kimonos he had worn here. They had been perfect for all kinds of weathers cool in summer and warm in winter. They had always been soft to the touch and were so light that he sometimes forgot that he was wearing such elaborate clothing at all. 

Sadly, the memories had come back way too soon each time. He hadn’t been allowed to be idle here as they all made sure to train him to fight with a sword and without it, the same with his magic and the magic of the dragons. 

The air shifted around him, and Niji and Kazunari knew without looking that Morga has left them alone. Kazu shuddered a bit at the thought that the old dragon was gone now after three years being around her almost all the time. 

Kazunari looked at Niji and smiled when the bright sun reflected in its eyes. “Do you want to stay with me or do you want to fly and meet me down there?” he asked finally. 

In answer, Niji buried its snout against his neck making the young man laugh out loud. It tickled a little. “Okay but please make yourself small and lighter,” he asked and relaxed when light engulfed Niji, and it changed into a small lizard curled itself around his arm. 

Kazu made sure that his small bag was safe around him. He had only things inside that he thought were necessary for their travels. Most of his important tokens were still here and would stay here until he settled down somewhere. If needed Niji would be able to retrieve them quickly.

Kazu had only taken a necklace his parents had given him for the last birthday they had been together and the signet ring of his family.

Niji thrilled in his mind, and Kazu grinned. Yes, he was taking his sweet time but saying goodbye to this was harder than with his own home. Then it had been different since everything had happened so fast that he hadn’t been able to process it.

But it was time now, Kazu thought and finally started the track down to from the mountain he had called home for the last years. It was more comfortable now that his muscles were more used to climbing over uneven ground and it didn’t take long until he was on the ground again.

—

Niji moved when they were down and entered a forest to drape itself around his neck again. 

Kazu was glad that Niji had decided to stay close for now. He felt safer with the dragon close by. He felt like a stranger in his world, like something that didn’t belong. 

“You have to make sure to hide when we come across of humans,” he mumbled to the dragon who made an offended noise. Kazu giggled softly and patted its head to calm it down. He was just joking after all. 

They walked for hours listening for any sounds and Kazu was appalled as to how little forest animals he could here. It was close to winter, so Kazu supposed it was because of that. They could have travelled to warmer areas. But to be honest, he wasn’t so sure about it.

Niji nipped at his ear, making him groan loudly. 

“Yes, yes. I’m looking for faults. Let me be grouchy for today. I had to leave home,” he grumbled. Then he sighed when he felt Niji’s magic as the dragon tried to calm him down. “I’m not depressed Niji. Please stop. It’s normal to feel a little sad. You are sad yourself aren’t you?”

Kazu smiled as Niji calmed down again. He had to be careful as not to make the dragon upset. Its emotions were still a little bit unstable as it was growing up and just finding its self. 

Niji had grown a lot during the time with its kind. Kazu had been honestly surprised, but Morga had explained that it was normal for a dragon to do a sudden growth spurt. More so now that Niji had bounded with him. Another reason Kazu would have loved to stay with the dragons until Niji was alright. 

“Will you be alright with sleeping outside today?” Kazu asked thoughtfully as it grew dark. They weren’t close to a human village yet. It seemed as if people tried not to get too close to the mountains here and the forest. 

Kazu thought it was silly since the mountains would mean protection for a village and the forest hid an abundance of fruits to consume as well as a clean water resource. He was sure he would learn more tomorrow though. It shouldn’t be longer than a day at foot for him to find the first group of people. At least he hoped so.

Kazu made sure that Niji was alright and close to him as he finally heard the first sounds of wilderness and followed it in hope to find a river or something to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's kind of bad and boring but I hope it will get more interesting as he meets the others. Which kind of roles do you think would fit the other four? Just curious :)


	8. Chapter 8

Kazu woke up by sounds coming from the forest. He had finally found a strip of grass and a river, but by then it had gotten dark, and Kazu had been quite tired. After a small dinner, he had laid down at the riverside to sleep. 

Niji had crawled close to him to keep him warm during the night. It had been nice to know that he wasn’t alone even now. Of course, it was also safer to be with Niji as no wild animal would try to get him while he slept. The most dangerous thing they could come across were other humans, and right now they should still be far from them. At least a half day track, Kazu supposed. 

Kazu was up to his feet without really realising it as he took his bag to be ready to leave if needed. Niji was running around nervously but also excited. So Kazu was a little bit lost if there was a danger for them or not.

They could hear a cry, and a swear and Kazu stilled for a second. “A man,” he whispered almost in awe. It was the first time in three years he listened to another humans voice. 

Niji pushed him slightly from behind, and Kazu staggered a bit as he tried not to fall flat on his nose. He frowned down to the dragon who chirped pointedly and began to advance to the line of trees. It turned around when it realised that Kazu stopped and looked at him again. 

Kazu groaned and rubbed his face before following him to the line of trees. “Hide,” he whispered almost harshly to the dragon who grumbled but did as he was told and Kazu waited until it changed and hid under the folds of his yukata. Then he stepped further into the darkness. 

He needed a moment to get used to it before he could go further in the search for the man who had cried out. He had sounded hurt, and Kazu knew Niji was right. It wasn’t like them to let anybody be hurt when they could help. 

Kazu ran faster when he heard a growl and a painful moan before he managed to reach the person. He took a moment to assess the situation in front of him. A man laid on the floor with a wounded arm and probably more that he couldn’t see. Around him a pack of wolves circling him. 

Kazu didn’t understand why they would attack humans like that. There was more natural prey around after all, but it wasn’t like he could ask them or something like that. And he was worried that the wolves would continue in that path of not spooked right now. 

He whispered something to Niji. He was sure that the man was almost unconscious now and wouldn’t see what he did right now. He felt Niji leaving him and changing once more into his standard height and form Nino felt more than saw him gliding through the sky above them. Kazu stepped out of the shadows to get the attention of the pack before they advanced forwards to the hurt man. 

A shiver ran over his body when he was face to face with the beasts. Still, he stood as tall as he was able to. He didn’t want to show them that he was scared of them. As the man on the floor didn’t move around in surprise of the stopping attack, Kazu was sure that he was out of it. A small smile appeared on his face as he knew that he was safe now. 

“Niji,” he cried out for his beloved friend when they advanced and jumped to hurt him. He felt his magic surge through his body as Niji cried out and appeared again above them followed by thunder and lightning. The wolves cried out in fear now as they saw the dragon and got the warning loud and clear. “Go,” Kazu whispered as they stopped unsure for the moment before they finally turned around and run. 

Kazu felt the cold rain on his hot skin and closed his eyes as he breathed in deeply to calm down. He knew that Niji was strong. Still, it surprised him whenever the dragon conjured a storm. He felt the strain of it in his body as Niji changed forms to hid in his yukata again. Kazu caressed his head for a second before moving to the man. The rain was not helping the injured man, but it was nothing he could change now. He only told Niji to chase the wolves away not how and with how much power. It would probably help if he were a bit more specific the next time. 

Kazu shrugged lost in his thoughts as he knelt beside the man and turned him around on his back to look over his injuries. He winced slightly as he saw the deep gnashes peppered on his body. 

The man groaned painfully as Kazu nibbled on his lip. He didn’t know how he could help him best. He knew how to heal people, but if this man woke up without any injuries, he would never believe that it was normal. 

“Niji, I need your help again,” he whispered, and the small lizard peaked out from under his sleeve. He smiled and stroked its back. “Afterwards you can rest, I promise. But it’s your fault that you used way too much energy just now, you know? You didn’t have to do that much even if you were overly excited to try it out,” he scolded, giggling when Niji pouted a bit at those words. Nevertheless, the small lizard crawled out from his hideout and looked at him curiously. 

Kazu checked the wounds once more and the content of his bag before explaining to him which kind of herbs he would need. “You’ll find me, right? I need to bring him somewhere dry. Oh no, don’t you pout now. It’s quite your fault that it’s raining here and that we can’t stay at our small spot at the riverside. Now hurry, or he will die.”

Niji huffed before slithering away leaving Kazu chuckling softly before looking at the problem in front of him. The stranger wasn’t much bigger than he was, probably a bit smaller even but his build was a lot bulkier than Kazu could ever hope for. He groaned as he got to his feet again.

“Sleep for now,” Kazu murmured into the stranger’s ear and watched as the eyes fluttered for a moment before the breathing calmed down again. Kazu felt the strain of the use of his magic on his body as he pulled the man up with a groan. Yes, he was heavier than he looked, but he couldn’t use more of his powers right now. Kazu wasn’t sure how long his body would hold out if he used more magic too soon. The strain on his body might be too much, and he didn’t want to lose consciousness out here with the life of a stranger in his hands. 

He was glad when he found a broken tree with an opening at the bottom. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable thing to camp out in the big trunk. But they were both small, so they could make it work somehow. At least enough for the stranger to rest and for him to work on his injuries.

Once settled down Kazu opened the folds of his clothes hissing when he saw the bloody flesh. He breathed in deeply as he cleaned out the wound with the clear water from the river and made sure to have clean stripes of clothes at hand to tend to the injuries as soon as Niji was back. 

He took the fresh herbs, making sure they were all the right ones he needed and began to make a paste with them. He put the foul-smelling paste on the wounds, making sure to put some of his healing abilities to the worst of them and bandaged them afterwards.

He fell back to his butt when he finished with the last breathing heavily and feeling slightly feverish. Niji was beside him in an instant so that he wouldn’t crack his head open as he fell even further. 

“Thank you, Niji, are you okay?”

Niji nodded and rubbed its face against Kazu’s shoulder. He smiled tiredly and caressed its back. 

He wanted to say more to Niji, to make sure he was okay but he couldn’t do it as he fell to a deep sleep. His body was finally demanding the rest he had denied it as he made sure to help the stranger first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I’m soooo sorry for this… And for whining. But I have a tough time writing right now as I think everything is utterly awful and yeah…


	9. Chapter 9

Niji’s prodding against his side awoke Kazunari. He groaned as he opened his eyes and rubbed his face. “God, it hurts.” Kazunari sat up with Niji's help. He smiled when the dragon chirped and rubbed his head. 

“Don’t worry. Just sore muscles,” he explained and stretched once he sat up fully. He watched Niji for a moment until he stood and moved his body until he felt not as sore anymore. He felt Niji’s eyes on him as the dragon made sure that he won’t fall. He laughed softly and hugged him shortly. “Now off with you or you will go hungry. I won’t hunt for you,” he scolded slightly and watched as the dragon flew off. 

Kazu’s eyes wandered to the stranger who was still asleep before turning his head to the sky. He saw the sun creeping up slowly on the horizon. He looked back again before shrugging slightly. It probably would still take a while for him to wake up.

He sat down a few feet away and closed his eyes when he felt the first rays of sun hit his face. With a deep breathe he felt his heart calming down as began a silent prayer with his Gods, asking for guidance and strength to be able to do what was asked of him whatever it might be. 

When he felt eyes on him, he slowly turned around and was met with the dark eyes of the stranger. Kazu stood up slowly and moved closer to him again. “You are awake,” he whispered with a small smile. 

The stranger didn’t answer but continued to scrutinise him. Kazu sighed softly at that but didn’t really care at the same time. He tried to decide if it was better to check on his wounds now or make sure that he ate and drank something. In the end, he decided on the latter. The dressings were still in place and not soaked through by blood. The paste doubled with his magic seemed to have worked. 

“You should eat,” he said slowly and helped him to sit up when he was still looking at him without saying anything. He groaned inwardly as he made sure to hold him up as he held a water flask against his lips. “It’s not poisoned,” he said with a roll of his eyes when a shadow fell over his face. 

“I clearly could have let you there to die if that was my goal. Drink now.” Kazu tilted the flask softly until it poured into his mouth. He was relieved when the stranger drank with small sips. When Kazu thought it was enough, he let go and put the water to the side. 

“Are you hungry?” When no answer came, he sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. “Can’t you speak? Or don’t you understand the common tongue?”

“Thank you.” The voice was rough and a bit hoarse. But Kazu was glad that he got to hear the voice of the other finally. 

“You are welcome. Hungry? I can only offer you fruits for now though.” Kazu took the offerings from his pack and put them down in front of the other man. The other was still wary, but his hunger won over as he ate the fruits. 

Kazunari got up with. “I will look for something for a fire. It’s cold.” As expected there was no answer, so he got up and went further into the woods to find dry wood for the fire and greet Niji who was back from its hunt. It changed as it came closer to worm up around his arm again. Kazu stroke it’s head as he felt it settle down and fall to sleep. 

“Thank you for your protection,” Kazu whispered finally. He knew that the dragon had stayed up all night to make sure he was safe and warm. Now it was time for Niji to rest. 

—

The stranger was pulling at his bandages when Kazu was back. Kazu lifted an eyebrow as he put the wood down. He wished he could just conjure a fire. It was faster and easier, but there was no way he could do it without the other realising. 

“If I were you I wouldn’t do that. You were bleeding badly yesterday. I’m happy that it stopped. If you open your wounds again, I won’t fix you again. You could a bit more thankful for things others do for you,” he said without looking at him and concentrating on making the fire. He couldn’t help himself as a small spark escaped from his fingertips, but he was sure it was hidden well by his body. He put more wood to the small fire he had created. Then he set a pot with water on the fire together with a few herbs. 

“Herbal tea will help you battle the fever inside your body,” he explained as he settled down beside the other man. 

“Who are you?”

“You may call me Nino,” Kazunari said after a moment of thought. 

“I’m Sammy. What happened to the pack of wolves?”

Kazunari shrugged and played with a twig to keep his hands occupied. “I heard your shout. When I found you the last ones ran away. It might be that there was a boar nearby. But I didn’t meet him, luckily. You were badly hurt, but I couldn’t let you bleed to death if there was a chance of helping you,” he lied, looking him to the eyes. 

“Huh…” The other grimaced as his side hurt when he moved slowly. “I didn’t think I would be able to open my eyes again.”

“Then you were probably lucky that I found you.” Kazunari stood to check on the water and poured it into another flask for him to drink.

“I’m sorry, but I went through your pack. I don’t have much with me, and your bag seemed to be filled with more things to use than mine,” he explained carefully. 

He had been right as well. Sammy had pots and mugs with him. Kazunari had only a flask for water, a warmer cloak and a small bowl for heating water or something to eat if fruits went sparse and he had to rely on roots or meat.

“It’s okay. I have nothing to hide,” Sammy said with a small shrug. He took the mug that Kazu offered him while still watching Kazunari. 

“What is it? You are making me nervous with how you are watching me.”

“I’m just wondering… You don’t seem like someone who would survive in the forest alone. Still, the beasts fled seemingly as you appeared. Also, I should be dead with the wound I got, but here I am, breathing and feeling better than I probably should. So I’m trying to decide if I should trust you and think you are a normal human or if I should better kill you as you are a witch.”

Kazunari looked at him open-mouthed for a moment before he started to laugh. Sammy was pouting which only made his laughter even worse. 

“I’m sorry. Really, sorry, but a witch? Those are creatures from fairy tales. They don’t exist. I was taught about the secrets of medicine from my grandmother, but I can’t do miracles. You were lucky that your wounds mostly weren’t deep and that I have stuff on me that helps to heal people. I managed to sew close the biggest of your wounds because you were already unconscious,” he said with a small shrug. “Other than that: You have a strong body and great willpower,” he continued calmly. 

Kazu motioned for Sammy to drink his tea and leant against the tree behind him as he sipped from his mug. He felt himself warm up from the inside. 

“But if you don’t, believe me, I can undress, and you can check if I have any marks on my body that would make me a witch,” he challenged then and looked at Sammy with a grin. He knew that all witches have a distinctive mark in the stories and he really would be happy not to be as scrutinised by the other anymore. 

Sammy looked at him for a while before a grin spread over his lips followed by a soft laugh. “I think that won’t be necessary,” he decided then. Kazunari was right, he thought, he rescued him, and without him, he would have been dead so he shouldn’t mistrust him so much. 

Kazunari watched him with a small smile and finished his tea. He felt Niji shifting on his arm and relaxed slowly. “Let me check your wounds and then you should rest. We can’t stay here for long without getting the attention of wild animals.”

“You are right,” Sammy whispered and drank the last of the bitter tea. He closed his eyes as Kazunari redressed his wounds. Under the careful eyes of the other and the soft but competent hands, he fell asleep again.


	10. Chapter 10

Kazunari listened to the soft breathing of Sammy for a moment until he was sure that the other man was still asleep. He slipped out from under his coat he had put over himself to protect from the cold bite of the night. He shivered as he pulled it over his shoulders and felt Niji stirring slightly under his sleeve. 

He bit his lips as he looked back at the man again and then left with silent steps. He went to the small river that was close-by but far enough that he was sure that Sammy wouldn’t be able to see him or hear him if he woke up. 

“Niji,” he whispered as the dragon slid off his arm to worm itself around his shoulders. The dragon pushed its snout against his face affectionately, making Nino smile even if he knew that it was not good for it to be on display. He sighed and berated himself as he arrived at the water. He was glad that Niji could change forms into reptile-like creatures and if it were summer nobody would spend a second glance at him but it was early winter, just getting colder with each day and nobody would believe that Niji was able to survive at that temperatures. 

Kazunari sat down at the riverbank and let Niji slid down to the earth. There the small lizard changed into its dragon form spreading its wings slightly and moving it. Kazu smiled and stroke its head. “Good flight, be careful,” he asked it and watched as Niji nodded and then set off. It didn’t take long for the dragon to become one with its surroundings and Nino went back to watch the stream.

It was still early. The sun had not yet peaked over the trees, so there was no point to thank the Goddess of the sun for bringing him yet another day full of light and warmth. He smiled softly as he remembered the warm sun on his cheeks and the light that managed to chase away the bad dreams and monsters the night sometimes produced. 

Kazunari put his hand in the cold stream for a moment. He was thankful that it provided them with clean water to fulfil their thirst and help them to survive. He chuckled softly as he said his prayers to the spirits of the water and then decided that it would do him some good to clean his body and mind and what was better than the clean water?

He stood to take off his clothes shuddering for a moment in the old before stepping into the freezing water. He held still for a second to get used to the water before stepping in deeper and let himself slid down to the stones at the bottom of the river to be able to make the water run over his shoulders with a flick of his fingers. 

The water running over his body helped to clear his thoughts and mind and felt warm on his skin. He sighed when he stood again. It was time. He could hear Niji telling him that his guest was about to wake up and he didn’t want him to see him like that. 

Silently he thanked Maila for the warm embrace and stepped out of the water. He pulled his clothes on again just as the sun appeared. Kazunari said his prayer before filling a carafe with water and going back to the small place he made for Sammy and him for as long as Sammy needed to recover. Kazunari didn’t know what he should do afterwards. He wanted to leave that stranger to be more open about Niji and his religion once again but Sammy already believed him to be a witch, and he didn’t need to make it worse. 

Kazunari smiled softly when he felt the heat of the fire before he could see it. As Niji had told him Sammy was already awake and had reinforced the fire once again. “Thank you,” Kazunari said as he sat down beside him again. He put the water in a pot together with herbs before setting it on the fire. He took another pot to fill with half of the rest of the water and closed his eyes for a second as warmth washed over him. 

“I think I should thank you that you are still here,” Sammy said slowly.

Kazunari slowly opened an eye, before shaking his head again. “As I said. I wouldn’t go through all the trouble to help you just to abandon you now. I could have spared my energy if I wanted to let you die now,” he said and sat up more straightly. 

“What are you expecting in return of life saved?” Sammy asked in a low voice. 

Again Kazunari shrugged. “Nothing,” he said honestly. “As I said. I couldn’t have let you die there. My grandmother schooled me in the art of healing, and no human should wander off if they see another being in pain and can help.”

Sammy looked a bit baffled but said nothing in return. He frowned as he looked at the fire as if he tried to solve some unimaginable hard riddles. 

Kazunari honestly couldn’t understand why it was so hard to understand for the other that he just wanted to help. He didn’t expect anything. He didn’t even know what there would be to expect. He didn’t know what Sammy had to offer, and he honestly didn’t care. What kind of monster would it make him if he stopped to ask what he would get as payment before helping someone? That was very bad, Kazunari thought, and he didn’t want to live in a world where people were like that. 

He groaned inwardly at that thought. It had been so long that he had not been with humans. He felt resentment for them, and he knew he didn’t honour the wishes of his Gods because of that. And that all because there were some that killed his family and abandoned the dragons. Kazunari needed to learn more, he knew. 

“Go with him,” he heard Niji say in his head. “Make him take you with him.”

“Nino, is everything alright?” Sammy asked suddenly, making Kazunari blink and refocus on him and the fire. 

He realised that the water was bubbling and with a small hiss he made sure to take both pots off the fire without getting hurt. 

“Yes, of course. I just thought that it probably was time to leave, if you are ready enough for it. It gets colder each day, and I don’t trust the fire to keep beasts away for too long,” Kazunari said and poured the tea in two mugs to let it cool down. Then he mixed the warm water with the cold one and checked the temperature. 

“That’s why you need to strip. I need to clean and check on your wounds.”

Sammy frowned but nodded as he stripped easily.

Kazunari’s eyes moved over his body checking all the bindings he had done just the day before. They had gotten a lot smaller than the first evening he found him. Kazunari knew that Sammy still was surprised at how fast he had healed so far, but Kazunari had already realised that he thought it was all thanks to the paste he put on the wounds each day. And yes, it helped to keep any inflammation out of them. The tea helped to fight any infections as hell. But still, Kazunari knew that without his healing magic even a strong man as Sammy was would have died or been bedridden for way longer. He was just glad that Sammy had believed him that the wounds probably felt worse than they were in reality. 

Kazunari sighed as he opened the bindings and put them in his small bag. It wouldn’t do them any good to throw them away. Not when they came off cleanly. The bits that were soaked by blood he had thrown to the fire. He took a clean cloth to wash Sammy’s body and make sure that none of his flesh was red or hot to the touch. Sammy didn’t say anything as Kazunari made him lie down so that he could check on the most significant wound just on his hips. 

Kazunari was dismayed to find that it was still slightly swollen, but there was no pus in the wound, so he supposed it was just because he had had to sew it up. It would leave a scar but a few more days and the thread should be able to come off, he decided as he washed it out with slightly hotter water and ignoring Sammy’s hiss of pain. Kazunari patted it carefully dry before putting the paste on it and making Sammy sit up again to bandage his side. 

“That should be sufficient,” Sammy said when Kazunari wanted to cover the rest of his wounds again and stopped his hands. “They are already much better, and there it makes no sense to waste anything.”

“If you say so,” Kazunari mumbled as he closed the pot with the paste again. After the first night he had decided that making a bigger patch and conserving it made more sense than to grind up the herbs each day. Especially since Niji couldn’t openly help him find the needed ingredients.

Kazunari stood when Sammy nodded and put on his clothes again. He took the rest of the pot filled with water to clean it out a few steps away from their camp. He felt Sammy’s eyes on him and tried not to flinch at the look. 

Sammy’s eyes were dark and intense on his body, and he didn’t know how to feel about that. “I think you should be able to travel again,” Kazunari said instead and sat down again. He took his bag and pulled out a few nuts to hand over to Satoshi who made a small face but said nothing as he began to eat. It was a meagre meal, Kazunari knew, but it was harder to find fruits and nuts. His rations had meant to feed only him, splitting them up was not easy. Sadly, they were too deep into the forest to find small, easy prey and Kazunari didn’t want to hunt for bigger than they would be able to eat. He didn’t want to leave anything behind. He sighed as he munched on a few nuts and then drank his tea. He should have spent longer at the river to get some fishes, but he hadn’t thought of that. 

“You should come with me,” Sammy said when they almost finished their drinks and Kazunari almost choked on it. 

“What? Why?”

“To make sure that I won’t die of course,” he answered with a smirk. “You have to make sure that your help wouldn’t go to waste. You said so yourself.”

Kazunari opened to retort but then deflated. He couldn’t argue with that, and he knew that he shouldn’t.

“Okay, but if you feel strong enough to travel you should know that I won’t continue to do everything for you,” he decided and finished his drink before getting up and excusing himself before hiding behind some trees and calling Niji back. He knew that the dragon would be able to follow them in the air without getting found out. But he needed the closeness of something familiar. It would do his heart something good.

When he came back, Sammy had made sure that the fire was put out and that no smouldering left could have put the forest ablaze and was repacking his pack. Kazunari knelt beside his bag to do the same and shoulder it. He hadn’t thought that he would travel with a company quite so soon, but he should have considered it after he had helped Sammy, Kazunari thought with a small sigh. 

Sammy didn’t yet fully trust him, Kazunari knew, and he probably would put himself in danger travelling with him. But he also knew that the threat could lurk everywhere. Anyone who knew his parents, any little carelessness with Niji, his magic or his prayers could put a death penalty on his head. Maybe travelling with Sammy would take suspicions off of him at least a bit.


	11. Chapter 11

Kazunari followed Sammy silently. He stroked Niji’s head in an attempt to calm down. He watched Sammy’s back. The other man was still a bit unsteady on his feet, but Kazu knew that he wouldn’t welcome his help right now. 

He didn’t know much about Sammy, but he knew that he was a proud man. Stupidly proud probably, also. He sighed but smiled when Niji nudged his hand to get him to continue the petting. Kazu giggled slightly but continued to do so before stepping up to keep up with Sammy. 

Sammy looked at him with a frown and Kazu bit his lips to not stuck out his tongue at the other man. That would be a little bit too childish, even for him. 

“Something is wrong?” he asked as he hurried along to fall to step beside Sammy. “Are you tired?”

“No,” Sammy shook his head with an almost pout on his face. Kazu rolled his eyes but stayed beside him for a few more minutes observing him. 

“You are limping,” Kazu said in the end. He sighed as he put his arm around his shoulder to help him stay straight. 

“What do you think you are doing?”

“Helping you to walk. What does it look like? It’s either that or resting. Which would you prefer?” he asked in a low voice. 

“I can walk on my own.”

“No can do,” Kazu said with a sigh. “Now stop being childish. The stitches will just be pulled, and then we are back at zero with your healing.”

Sammy grumbled something under his breath, but at least he didn’t push off his arm anymore but followed his steps through the forest. 

After a few steps without any direction following Sammy forced him to stop. “Do you have any idea where to go?” Sammy asked with a lifted eyebrow. 

Kazu blushed a little at those words. But then he sighed with a shrug. “Not really. I am just a wanderer. I go where my feet take me and never had any directions of to where to go,” Kazu explained carefully and with a frown on his face. 

“Then you should follow my directions.”

“I will if you tell me,” Kazu snorted and changed his steps to the direction Ohno was pointing to. They walked for silence for a while longer until Kazu decided it was enough for now. 

“We should take that break now,” he said with a frown and pushed Sammy down to the ground. He rubbed his forehead as he put his bag down before kneeling on the ground to pull out his water flask. “You should drink something while I check if your stitches got pulled,” Kazu mumbled. 

He opened Sammy’s clothes to check for any bleeding but was glad when he realised that everything was alright. He let Sammy get dressed again and drank something himself before putting everything back and leant against a tree behind them to relax for a second. Ohno was heavier than he looked. 

“You okay?”

“Of course, I’m not the injured one here,” Kazu said with a shrug and looked up to the trees. “But you aren’t exactly a featherweight,” he added with a groan.

Sammy scoffed slightly before moving his shoulders slightly. “I would say I’m sorry. But training and muscles do that to a person. But yeah, you don’t look like you are used to training.”

Kazu laughed softly at those words. “Oh well, I was never trained to be a soldier. Still, I wasn’t attacked and almost killed by wolves. So I think I win this argument. How about you try not to belittle me.”

“I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did. You do it the whole time. You look at me as if I’m worth less than you.”

“Your manners are just so different from what I’m used to,” Sammy said with a frown. 

“So and this means what exactly?”

“You could be one of the dancers in the gardens. That would explain your readiness to get off your clothes,” Sammy said with a sneer. 

Kazu grimaced a bit at the scoff of the other even if he didn’t get that reference. Oh God, it would be so awkward for him to be in the city. “I don’t really know what you are implying, but it sounds horrible.”

Sammy blinked in surprise and confusion at the honest innocence in his eyes. He chuckled but shook his head. “Just forget it. Let’s continue now. If we go a little further, we should arrive at the river banks and then we can rest for the night. I don’t think we’ll be able to reach the city today. I’m too slow for that.”

Kazu sighed but nodded. That sounded like a good thing to do. He packed his bag again and raised to his feet in one fluid motion. He was glad that Sammy didn’t protest as he helped him up to his feet. 

“This way,” Sammy said in the end as he took the first steps. Kazu nodded and fell to step beside him. He looked down to the floor as they walked silently. He didn’t know what was running through Sammy’s head, but it probably wasn’t anything good.

—

They reached the river bank later than Kazu would have liked, but he supposed that it couldn’t be helped. With a small sigh, he helped Sammy sitting down on the lush grass. 

“I will go upstream to fill the water flask. If you feel up to it I would appreciate it if you would clean yourself,” Kazu mumbled and took off his cloak to put on top of his bag before taking the water flask. 

“I’ll be fine,” Sammy huffed.

Kazu chuckled softly and got up to leave the other man alone. It was kind of funny how Sammy wanted to look like the big buff man he honestly wasn’t. At least right now.

Kazu smiled when he was finally alone and breathed in deeply. It felt as if he could feel free for the first time today. 

“How are you Niji?” he asked the dragon when Niji climbed on his shoulder. 

“Sleepy,” the dragon answered yawning deeply.

Kazu chuckled slightly and kissed its head. “You slept all day. How about you stretch your wings now? We’ll stay down there for the night and will leave just in the morning,” Kazu explained carefully. 

“Sounds good. I’ll sneak under your sleeve in the morning,” Niji promised. Nino rubbed its head lovingly with his fingertips. 

“I’m sorry that you have to hide in this form nonetheless, Niji,” he said sadly. “I would understand if you decided to roam through the skies at your home mountain,” he whispered. 

“It’s fine. I want to be with you,” Niji declined, and headbutted his chin softly. 

“Okay. But it probably won’t change. I also don’t know how normal it is for the people around here to have lizards as pets.”

Nino pouted as Niji giggled at his words. He sighed and put him on the floor. “So hush you. I have to go back to make sure that Sammy won’t drown. Take care.”

“I will. Nothing will also happen to you,” Niji promised as he changed into his true form and vanished into the air. Kazu looked after him with a soft sigh and smile. He wished he could be as free as Niji was. He wished he could fly with him together but for that Niji was sadly still too small. He shook his head to dislodge his thoughts and filled the bottles of water. 

He went back to where he left Sammy, lifting his eyebrow as he saw him looking through his bag. Kazu cleared his throat slightly. 

Sammy looked up, looking at least a bit sheepish and sorry for his doings. “Well I hope you cleaned up at least,” Kazu snorted and knelt beside his things to repack his bag. “If you don’t have anything else you want to check out you should go and get firewood. You seem fine enough to move around.”

“I…”

“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. Just do as I told you and make yourself useful,” Kazu said and lifted his hand to wave him away. 

He waited until Sammy left before letting out a loud sigh. He couldn’t believe it. He looked through his bag and made sure to put everything in its right place again. He was happy that he had nothing of importance with him that would tell anybody who he really was. 

Kazu rubbed his shoulder before whispering a new incantation to hide the markings of his studies again before taking off his clothes to wash himself down. Kazu said a prayer, keeping his eyes on the border of trees until the prayer was done. 

Then he finally relaxed into the water and took the time to open his hair and wash it down. The further they came from the mountains the warmer it was getting which was actually pretty good. 

Kazu had realised that the cold weather wasn’t for him already. And this weather reminded him of the time at the dragon nest. He heard Sammy coming back and looked up to see him stacking the wooden logs up to make the fire. He watched him for a second before deciding that he had to face Sammy sooner rather than later and stepped out of the stream. 

Sammy looked up, and he could feel his eyes on his body. “So do you want to check for any birthmarks that identify me as a witch? Or whatever those dancers you were talking about have on their bodies?” he asked with a frown. “But do it fast; it’s cold.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Sammy said finally and adverted his eyes. Nino sighed and put his yukata on. He closed the belt tightly before taking care of his hair. 

“I overstepped my boundaries. And for that, I apologise. I won’t do it again.”

“Okay, accepted. And I would appreciate it if you stopped questioning me. I don’t do it for you. Do I? And we both know that Sammy is a fake name, but I accept that you have your secrets you don’t want to share.”

“You never were much in any cities were you?”

“No, I lived in a small shack with my family until I decided I wanted to head out for the world. Guess them dying helped though,” Kazu explained. 

“So you are completely clueless about anything?”

“I know about medicine. I know that the forests are dying and I know that monstrous beasts are lingering in the woods that come closer to the cities all the time. But since I’m used to be in the forests, I know how to avoid them mostly.”

“I understand. I’m sorry about your family and won’t mention it anymore,” Sammy said. 

“I’d appreciate that,” Kazu said with a sigh and put up his hair before putting his coat over himself to wait until the fire was up to warm them up. They ate dinner in silence and after Sammy was sure the fire was safe got to sleep. Kazu woke up during the night once when Niji got back to them and greeted it silently before getting back to sleep, feeling right away much safer with it close to him.


	12. Chapter 12

Ohno watched Nino as he took care of his pack and made sure everything was in its place the next morning. Nino had been cold to him since yesterday and almost not spoken at all. He felt sorry for what he had done, but he had been too suspicious of this stranger in the middle of the forest. 

Nobody was as kind as this man and didn’t expect anything in return. Satoshi had lived his whole life knowing that. Nobody was ever nice to him without any other thoughts. So he had learnt early not to trust anybody. 

Nino was different Ohno had realised that yesterday. He should have realised earlier probably because Nino had been nothing else than kind from the beginning and rescued his life. He would have died if not for this boy beside him. 

Now that he knew that Nino didn’t know anything about the world outside he was worried. It was easy to get lost in the city especially if they entered the bigger ones. Nino moved with a grace that he had only seen in the dancers at the red light district, and he knew that people would mistake him for one of them. Ohno wasn’t sure if Nino could really fight them off or if he even would. If Nino was so trusting with everybody as he had been with him, it was dangerous for him. Even more so if Nino kept being so free with taking off his clothes and not making sure they were fully closed. 

He felt Nino’s eyes on him but still tried to fake sleep and was glad when Nino seemed to believe him. He was really naive Ohno thought as he opened his eyes again and watched Nino lift his robes as he stepped into the river. Ohno shuddered as he thought about the coldness of the water. He frowned as Nino moved further into the water and put the cloth into his belt so that it wouldn’t get wet. 

Nino lifted his hands into the air as he closed his eyes and let his head fall back to look into the sun that crept over the top of the trees. 

A blinked as he watched Nino. He was beautiful like that and looked otherworldly. It took a while until Ohno realised that Nino was praying and a hiss escaped his lips. Nino looked back at the sound and frowned before moving back again and ending his prayer in such a calm way that Ohno was shocked. 

“Your form… Those are the prayers to the Old Gods,” Ohno said as Nino came back. Nino shot him an almost glare and Ohno tried not to get intimidated. 

“So what?”

“It’s forbidden to pray to the Old Gods. It’s the way of the witches and dragon keepers.”

Nino snorted as he put a hand through his hair before clicking his tongue as he found some knots in the long strands. 

“Are you going to kill me?” he challenged with a lifted eyebrow. 

“The king's guards will if they see you,” Ohno explained with a sigh. “The king himself has forbidden the ways of the Old Gods.”

“What kind of king tells people what to believe and kills people that do it another way? Either a very cruel or a very fearful one,” Nino said thoughtfully. 

Ohno chuckled slightly at his words. He knew the king was both. Feared by the people for his cruelness and fearful of anybody that might come in between him and the power. Ohno was sure that he would probably even kill his own heir without batting an eyelid. 

“Just be warned that you shouldn’t do that wherever people will see you. They have to report you if they do and then you will be put to death.”

Nino watched him for a while silently. Ohno could feel him judging him. He knew that fear of Gods was silly. They were just imaginary things after all. They held no real powers. 

“Okay, thank you for the warning. I will be careful,” Nino said with a shrug. He knew that he couldn’t pray in the cities and because of that, he had taken a moment longer to say his prayers and ask for the protection and leading hand until the next time he was safe to pray. He hoped that he would be able to do so whenever he found some private place to stay.

“Are you ready to go?” Ohno asked after a moment of silence. 

Nino nodded slowly and took his bag. “I think so,” he mumbled feeling nervousness creeping up in him. He didn’t want to show it, but he was scared about entering a city and being face to face with different people. 

Ohno watched him slowly and then smiled a bit when he saw the nervousness in his eyes. It was kind of exciting to see him not as secure anymore. That made him a bit more approachable and fitted more to the rest of his appearance, Ohno thought. 

Ohno nodded as he took his bag and then retook the lead. Nino walked behind him playing with one of his hair strands as he looked around. Ohno almost thought that Nino was saying goodbye to the forest but that was silly, he knew. Nobody would be able to converse with plants, and he had outgrown the belief of fairies a long time ago. But it wouldn’t surprise Ohno if Nino still believed in them. The other man seemed to have a completely different upbringing. 

—

Kazu let go of his hair and rubbed the head of Niji around his wrist. If the small dragon stayed completely still people could think that it was just jewellery. Kazu was glad that he didn’t need to hide it entirely that way and could feel it steady presence, but he also felt very sorry for the small dragon. 

Dragons were meant to be free and fly in the air or enjoy the waters of rivers or the rustling of trees. They were not fit to hide their real form so often as Niji did and then have to be bound to a person or inside of cities. But he couldn’t deny that he wasn’t ready to let Niji go and be all alone here. 

His eyes fell to Sammy in front of him, and he was surprised at how calm the other man was. He knew he probably shouldn’t be since Sammy was used to the life in cities. He was the complete opposite of him. But still, Kazu thought with slight wonder, Sammy hadn’t freaked out as much as he had feared as he had realised what his beliefs were. 

Kazu wasn’t sure if it was only because Sammy still felt terrible because of the day before, but he wouldn’t comment on it but be thankful that he reacted the way he did. He hoped that if they found quarters to rest for the night’s he could pray more often than he had feared. If Ohno accepted his beliefs, he might be able to pray with him in a room. 

If they would stay in any rooms, Kazu didn’t know what he should expect from it all. He didn’t even know if Sammy had been serious as he told him he should follow him. It would help if he were serious. Sammy knew how it all worked, and he could follow his example to fit in a bit hopefully. 

Sammy sighed after a while and stood still. His eyes wandered over Kazu’s body, and Kazu tried not to shiver at the look in his eyes. 

“What? Why are you stopping? Are you hurt?”

“No. I feel almost as new. So stop worrying about any wounds. It’s not the first wound I had, even if it’s the first one that had been taken care off so well. I’m stopping because I want to warn you.”

“What?” Kazu asked with a frown and crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

Sammy chuckled before moving forward and pulling a leaf out of his hair. Kazu stiffened slightly and felt his ears getting hot. 

He took a step back, and Sammy lifted his hands. “Sorry. But you are going to draw attention on you,” Sammy said slowly pulling at his hair roughly. 

“You move with grace, your robes seem to be of quality, and your features are soft,” he explained calmly. “They all will think you are from the gardens or something like that,” he explained. 

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand,” Kazu answered and tilted his head to a side. 

Ohno sighed as he tried to think about how he could put it delicately. “They will think you are there to please men,” he said slowly. Kazu still frowned for a moment as he tried to work out what Ohno meant before he paled considerably. 

“Is that what you thought of me?” he demanded with furrowed brows. 

Sammy laughed but shook his head. “Not for long. When I first woke up, I thought you were a runaway, yes. Then I thought you were a spy,” he explained with a shrug. It had been the only logical thought after all. A whore would have never been able to survive in the forest and be so knowledgeable. A spy, though. Spies that were there to lull important people feeling safe around them while getting all the secrets or being able to be close enough to kill them wasn’t that far fetched. But he had realised that Kazu was neither.

Kazu nodded with a frown and tugged at his hair. He couldn’t change his features, and he didn’t want to cut his hair. He could try to move differently, but his movements had come with his training for fights. If he changed it, he feared that his movements wouldn’t be so fast and smooth in a fight if he needed it anymore. 

“So what should I do? I can’t change myself. Let them think what they want.”

“I just wanted to warn you. They will think that especially if you are not alone but travel with me. But it’s not all bad,” Sammy hummed thoughtfully. That way Nino would be under his protection in a way and they would be able to blend in, and nobody would recognise him.


	13. Chapter 13

It was a small village they entered, and still, the people around them were throwing glances at Nino already. Because of that Ohno got more glimpses than he would have liked as well. He tried not to scowl too much as to not draw more attention to him than he already had, but it was difficult. He hated it when people were staring at him. He had always hated it, and he had never gotten used to it — the opposite of his father who loved being in the centre of attention.

Nino was looking around with wide eyes, seemingly not realising that he was stared at. Ohno would have been fooled if he hadn’t already spent so much time with him in the woods where Nino seemed to feel comfortable. He carried himself a little bit more stiffly than he had before and the grip to his arm was tighter than necessary. But he still looked around very much and with big eyes, seemingly very curious about it all. 

“One could think you have never been to a village before,” he whispered to the man beside him. Nino blinked as he focused back on Ohno. Ohno couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face the moment he saw the wonder in those big orbs. They seem to be honestly overwhelmed by what they saw. 

“I never have been. I told you, we lived in a small hut in the middle of the forest. We had everything we ever needed. We never went to the city,” he mumbled with a small frown. That, of course, wasn’t completely true. He had never been to the city, but they had loyal servants that went to buy whatever extra things they needed. It was mostly fabric for new clothes or some things that couldn’t be harvested easily. 

Nino felt a slight pang in his chest as he remembered the kind older woman and man that worked for them. To even think about the boy they had - a late pregnancy - was too much for him and he had to close his eyes for a moment to calm down his heart. He and their boy had been very good friends, as it was only natural since they had almost the same age. Not being able to rescue him had been almost the hardest. The adults, they had known what could happen to them but not that boy. He had known less than Nino had, and Nino’s knowledge about his family secrets hadn’t been too broad, to begin with. 

Ohno frowned as he saw the sadness coming into his eyes and he put his hand on his arm to squeeze it slightly. “Is everything okay?” he asked as lowly as before. 

“Yes, thinking about their death just hurts,” Nino answered with a faked smile. “Are all cities as big as this? And with so many people?”

Ohno almost laughed out loud at that question. He shook his head with an amused grin on his lips and tilted his head to one side. “It’s a rather small village. It’s no big city, and the people aren’t that much. I’d like to think that everybody knows everybody here. You won’t have that in a big city.”

Nino’s eyes widened, and he licked his lips quite uncomfortable. He couldn’t believe it, and he was not exactly looking forward to visiting the bigger cities then. There were already so many people that he felt slightly faint with it all. 

Ohno smiled before tugging him forward softly. He was almost disappointed that this wasn’t the big city because he would have enjoyed the shocked look on his face, on the other hand, he was also glad that it wouldn’t be way too much from the start on. 

“We should look for somewhere to stay. I wouldn’t want to force someone out of their house,” he mumbled with a small grimace. Those small villages seldom had an inn or something like that, but people always tried to accommodate visitors even if that meant having to leave their homes. 

Nino grimaced at that mention. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He always felt terrible if he disturbed people. But he didn’t say anything as he continued to look around with a small smile. This village looked nice at least. Yes, the people were looking at them, but there were mostly curious eyes following them. Nobody seemed to hate them at first sight. They found a well in what appeared to be the middle of the town and Ohno led them both there. 

“We should be able to ask around from here,” he said with a thoughtful hum. The well-marked the middle of all towns in this kingdom, and it was the place where most people came to. It was also easier to navigate from here, and the possibility was high that wealthier people were living close to the town square than on the seams. 

He looked at Nino’s whose eyes were glued to the small stone well and the children that were playing around it with a lifted eyebrow before steering him right to the rim of the well and motioned him to sit down. 

“Wait here; I’ll get you when I know where we might be able to sleep tonight,” he said. 

Nino nodded with a frown as he sat down. “I can still walk…” he mumbled with a shrug which made Ohno laugh. 

“I didn’t think otherwise but I’m faster on my own and people might find it strange if you ogle at their houses. They would either think you are slow minded or you are impolite because you look disapprovingly at them.”

“I’m neither,” Nino huffed. Ohno just shrugged once more and stretched out his back. 

“Either way. It’s easier for me alone. Just wait here,” he said curtly in the end. He flinched at his own words but didn’t apologise as he left with a last nod to the man. It also wouldn’t hurt to go alone so that he would be able to get some information about what was going on in their central city. Why did his father send him to that godforsaken place with word that people were in danger? There was nothing like that. At least this village seemed to be in peace.

—

Kazu sat back down with a small frown and put one hand into the sleeve of his robe. His fingers found the little head of Niji, and he caressed it for a bit as he watched the children play a game in front of them. He knew that they were looking at him curiously - hell, why shouldn’t they? Their parents were, and for children, it was at least more logical to do so.

“Hello, who are you?” one of the children asked him with an almost scary look on his eyes. Kazu chuckled softly at that. The kid was working hard at being brave while not knowing if he didn’t want to run away right away.

“Hello there, I’m just a traveller,” he said with a small smile before sliding down from the well and squatted to be on the same height as the boy in front of him. “What are you playing?”

“Knock down the can! Do you want to play with us?” he asked after looking back at the other children who looked on curiously.

Kazu laughed softly before nodding. “If I may. But I don’t know the rules. So you have to explain them to me.”

“Okay,” the boy who had talked to him first took his hand to pull him further to the group of children who grinned happily and began tugging him forward again. 

“What’s your name?”

“Nino,” he answered with a grin as he squatted again to look at the children. “And what are you doing here?”

“Visiting. My companion and me we want to go to the big city,” he explained slowly. 

“The big city is scary,” one girl said with a frown. 

“Is it? How so?”

“Mummy and daddy say there is a monster living there,” she whispered after looking around. 

“Shh… You can’t talk about it,” a slightly older girl scolded her with a slight glare and looked at Kazu.

“Yeah, mummy said we couldn’t talk about the bad man to strangers, they could be spies,” a boy said.

Nino frowned deeply but then smiled softly. “I won’t tell anybody. I promise. But how about the game? It looks fun, and I’d like to try,” he said softly before settling down to listen to the children telling him all about the game and its rules before standing again. 

He thanked them when he was given one flat stone for him to use and grinned when the children decided that he would be one of the last to throw so that he could watch the others go. He smiled as he finally concentrated on the game and ran around with the children.

Kazu didn’t know how much time he spent playing with the children, but the next time he looked around he was aware that Sammy was sitting on the place he had abandoned earlier, watching him with unreadable eyes. Kazu smiled as he stood and waved to the children to say goodbye before going back to Sammy. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realise you were back.”

Sammy shook his head with a warm smile on his face which made him look so much more handsome, Kazu thought. “It’s fine. You looked like you were having fun.”

Kazu agreed before brushing a hand through the tangles that made up his hair now. It would hurt to sort it out later but it had been worth it, he thought. 

“I found a guest house. It’s not exactly an inn, but it’s the house of the town leader, and it has extra rooms for visitors. We are allowed to spend the night there, and nobody will leave their homes for us,” he said with a small grin when he realised the worry in Kazu’s eyes. 

“Let’s head over, and then we can sort out about dinner,” Sammy mumbled but trailed off when there was a tug on Kazu’s robe.

“We have dinner around a big fire. Will you come and tell stories?” 

Kazu chuckled but nodded after a small glance into Sammy’s direction. “Of course we’ll come, right Sammy?”

“Uhm… Yeah, if we are welcomed,” he mumbled with a small shrug. He hadn’t thought that these people would share one meal a day with each other. But it fitted with the tight-knitted image he had of this town. 

“YAY!” the children cried out happily. Kazu chuckled slightly as he waved at the children when they ran home because it was time for lunch as one of the oldest girls reminded the horde of kids. 

“We should head for the guest house as well,” Sammy said after a second. 

Kazu nodded as he walked beside him. “Can you tell me about the main city?” he asked carefully after a second of thought. He was worried about the things the children had said.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take the time to answer this poll:  
> https://kirasebi.livejournal.com/203728.html

Kazunari sat on the bed and leant against the wall at the head of it. He looked out of the window as he caressed Niji who had fallen asleep on his lap in his small lizard form. He smiled a bit as he watched the beautiful moon illuminating their room.

After all the time he had spent on the floor in the forest, it was strange to feel the soft mattress of the bed under his body.

Sammy was still out talking to the owner of the inn they were staying for the day, and Kazunari had been excused of their talk to go upstairs to relax after his hard travel they had. Kazunari didn’t feel very tired because of the travel; they walked just a short distance today after all. But he couldn’t remember a time that he had met so many strangers or people in general. Talking to all of them, thanking them for the food and shelter for the night had been tiring for him. 

“Niji, do you need to hunt today?” he asked as he prodded at Niji’s head to rouse the dragon from its sleep. “It’s your last chance to go before I have to close the window for the night,” he said as the dragon blinked its eyes open to look up to him. 

Niji chirped slightly as it shook his head and curled up on his lap again. >I’m full, thanks, the food was excellent.<

Kazu rolled his eyes with a small smile and a shrug. Niji had been running around in disguise earlier at the feast, so it had to be expected that it had eaten its full. 

Kazu looked down at the sleeping dragon on his lap. It was a beautiful bluish hue in this form with yellow eyes. But he loved the dragon more when it was in its pure form. A sigh escaped Kazunari’s lips as he saw how high the moon was already in the sky and got up after putting Niji down onto the blanket. He made sure that it was hidden under the cloth and got ready for bed. He had declined the offer of the owner of the in for a warm bath. That was a luxury that he honestly didn’t need. 

Kazu knew that the people here believed that he was some trophy figure for Sammy. He didn’t care about that, but he wouldn’t do anything to support that opinion. He washed his face and body with the slightly cold water from a bowl before opening his hair and making sure that it was combed through without any knots left before changing into a more comfortable robe to sleep. 

He heard the door open just as he closed the knot of his robe and looked over his shoulder when instead of saying anything, Sammy stopped in his step. He tilted his head as his eyes wandered over Sammy, who looked a bit gobsmacked.

“Is anything wrong?” he asked with a deep frown as he turned around fully and crossed his arms in front of the cloth. 

“No nothing,” Sammy said after he cleared his throat as he closed the door behind him. “I see you are ready to rest.”

“Yeah, the feast was tiring, and I’m full what makes me even more sleepy,” Kazunari replied softly as he sat down on the lone bed. 

“I see. Then you should probably rest. I will wash myself and then pull out some blankets to make a second bed,” he mumbled as he pulled his eyes from Kazu’s form on the bed. 

“Sammy, do you know anything about monsters?” Kazu asked after a moment he watched the other get ready for bed. It probably was not the best topic when they were about to go to bed, but he was curious. He couldn’t forget about the words of the children.

“Monsters? I believe they are just fiction, fantasies of young children and old women to scare the little ones,” Sammy said as he put a few blankets on the floor to make the bed. Kazu had thought about giving up the soft bed, but he was sure that Sammy would be too proud of that. So he slid his legs under the thin blanket that would protect him from the cold of the night. 

“But?” Kazu prompted when he realised that Sammy had stopped talking but was still looking completive. 

“But, as they say, there is always something true in stories. People report sightings of dragons now and then, and they say they slaughter them. I have never seen one, so I still don’t believe they exist. But many people thing otherwise. So why shouldn’t I believe in monsters?”

Kazu tried not to flinch at the mention of dragons. His fingers found Niji’s neck to caress it and keep the small dragon calm. The loss of its mother still cut deeply to his dragon friend. How could it not? Kazu again missed his parents after these past few years. For Niji, it had to feel like even less time had passed. 

“Sometimes the monsters hide in human form,” he mumbled. When Sammy turned to look at him with grave eyes, he continued to meet his eyes stubbornly. It took a few minutes until Sammy sighed deeply and sat down on the makeshift bed. 

“Yes sometimes the monsters are men,” he agreed softly, looking slightly defeated. Kazu felt somewhat bad for whatever he had said that caused it, but he didn’t know how to make it feel better. 

“So there are rumours of monsters around?”

“Yes, Nino, there are. Let us sleep. But you should know that humans are not peaceful creatures by birth, and so are animals.”

Kazu watched him before lying down. He pulled the blanket over himself as he coaxed Niji to climb onto his stomach. He sighed softly because Niji was perfectly warm. “Good night, Sammy.”

“Good night, Nino.”

Nino closed his eyes as his body calmed down while caressing Niji. 

—

When Ohno woke up the next morning, he could already tell that Nino was awake already. It was strange that Nino was awake before him each day.

He sat up and rubbed his slightly itchy eyes. He had drunken sake last night with the inn keeper, and it always dehydrated him slightly. 

“Good morning, Sammy,” Nino’s voice reached him, and he looked up to be offered a cup of water by the other man. 

He said his thanks before taking the cup and taking a sip to be able to clear his throat. He blinked when he realised that Kazu was already dressed mostly. The kimono was wide open on his upper body and held mainly by the tight belt around his waist.

He stood with his back straight and one arm across his muscled stomach. Ohno had already seen Nino half naked or naked a few times. But it threw him off each time when he saw the tight muscles under his skin. It looked as if Nino was trained in fight, but everything else of Nino’s demeanour didn’t fit with that. 

Ohno tried not to groan as his eyes travelled over Nino’s body. He had always been more interested in his sex than in the lithe bodies of women. Something his father had always detested in him even if Ohno knew that he had boys - they couldn’t be called men as they were too young for that - in his rooms for the night whenever he wanted. 

He hid a grimace behind his cup as he took another small sip of the water. Maybe there were more monsters in the cities than in the woods. “Do you want to stay here another day?” he asked Nino as he stood and washed to get ready for the breakfast the inn owner had promised him for this morning. 

“I think we should continue to travel, don’t you?”

“I do think so as well. I was sent to the woods because there were sightings of trouble. I lost the men I was with when we came across the wild beasts. I don’t know if they survived or died, but I should head for the main city to check on them.”

“You were sent?”

Ohno nodded at his question. Nino frowned a bit before wincing slightly as a small lizard climbing up his arm and draping itself around his upper arm. “Ouch, your talons, be careful,” Nino scolded it before he finally put on the upper part of his kimono and lifted his eyebrow at Ohno’s look. 

“Why do you have that?”

“I found it ill and hurt shortly after I lost my parents and I helped it to restore its help. It decided to stay with me,” Nino explained with a shrug as he tidied up his place. “You should get ready if we want to continue our travels today.”

“Yes, you are right,” Ohno mumbled deep in thought as he got ready and put back his things.

They went out to the main room where the breakfast was already waiting for them with their host sitting at the table already eating. 

“I suppose your company was already asleep when you were back in your room?” the man asked Ohno who shrugged at his words as he sat down. 

“Yes, sadly, so. I suppose travel was more tiring than I thought. Sadly though, we have to leave your hospitality today again as I need to continue on my trip to the main city. Serious business, you see,” Ohno said smoothly while he helped to serve Nino before starting his breakfast.

Nino frowned slightly at the words but decided it was too tiresome to try to decipher them, so he just thanked softly for the meal before partaking. They bid their goodbyes shortly after they finished their meal to continue on their way.


	15. Chapter 15

Kazu sighed with boredom as he sat in a room with some of the women of the mansion they were staying at. The cities they visited got bigger than they had been before and it was still strange for Kazu to see so many people in one place. He didn't feel all that comfortable to have so many eyes on him as well. He just wasn't used to it. 

A thing he got used to pretty quickly though had been that most people supposed that he was some sort of consort of Sammi. He still didn't know a lot about the other man, but he knew for sure that he wasn't just anybody. The people in the cities seemed to know him and behaved strangely around him. Kazu supposed that he wasn't just a mere foot soldier but one of the higher ranked officers, not that he cared. It was just the only explanation he could come up with to why all people easily made space for them. 

"Nino-san, do you care for more tea?" one of the maids asked him shyly. He blinked a bit as he looked up at the girl before nodding with a small but warm smile. These women had been nothing but kind to him even if he didn't care for their gossip or needlework. 

"Thank you," he said as he handed over the delicate cup for her to fill it once more. He was curious about what the men were probably talking about. He had been sent with these women to the other room since their talk wasn't interesting for the kind of them. It had been the same for a few spots already. The bigger the cities got, the more they seemed to separate women and men. 

Kazu played with the bracelet around his arms for a moment before forcing himself to listen to the gossip again. Sometimes women knew more than men thought they did after all. He drank his tea while looking at the window outside. Niji had gone to stay close to the forest and for its meals. Kazu had thought it better as well since their close quarters here in this city would be dangerous for the small dragon. 

"Nino-san are you enjoying yourself?"

Kazu looked up a bit confused and as if in a daze at that question. He nodded slowly with a small smile. "Of course, your company is very nice," he answered carefully, not sure as to what they meant.

"I meant, in general. It's nice of the lord to take a consort for such a journey. He has to show you so much. He s a fine young man after all," one of the younger women said with a faraway looking her eyes.

Kazu tried his best not to snort at that. Sammi was more like a brute with him than like a gentleman. But then again, their companionship had nothing to do with lord and consort so that he could understand the confusion.

"I learnt a lot," he agreed finally. It was no lie, after all. With Sammi at his side, he learnt a lot about the people around him and Sammi. Kazu wasn't sure yet but he probably also learnt quite a lot about himself already too. He didn't dislike all humans as he had thought at first. They weren't all the same either. It was interesting how the communities came together and how they lived. He still felt out of place here, though. It wasn't as if he had felt entirely at home at the dragon host either, dragons and humans were quite different as well, but it had been more comfortable there without all the judgemental looks.

Kazu tuned the girls out again when they started talking about the trips they had taken and which kind of cities they would love to visit. He thought about what they said about Sammi. He wouldn't have thought that the other man was a lord, and now he wondered what that meant and how he had become one. Was he one of the persons who were responsible for the fall of his family? Kazu didn't know, but he was sure that his family had been betrayed when the new king went to conquer the throne. He drank his tea while declining all kinds of alcoholic beverages that he was offered. 

He liked the bitter taste and the burn of sake or beer, but all the wines that were served were too sweet for his liking. 

"Nino-san, our lordship, he surely satisfies you? It can't just be the money that you'll travel with him on foot?"

Kazu blinked at those words and stared at them for a second. He needed a bit until his mind processed what they were talking about. He felt his cheeks heat up at the implication and cleared his throat slightly. "I don't think it would be becoming of me to tell you that," he said in the end with as much dignity he could and emptied his tea. 

The girls exchanged giggles and grins with each other at those words and for a second Kazu was sure to have said the wrong thing. So he stood up when he realised that his cup was empty and bobbed his head slightly. "I should head to bed. It's getting late," he excused himself before leaving the room as slowly as he dared and hoped it didn't look as much as the escape as he had feared. 

Just in front of the door was a maid standing to wait for any orders and Kazu looked at her with a half smile. "I would like to go to the room prepared for the lord and me," he said, slightly embarrassed about the implication of it all. Sammi be damned he couldn't just stop the charade right away. 

"Of course, this way," the maid said and inclined her head for him to follow her what he did happily. He entered the bedroom they had been given looking at the bedrolls that were lying together in the middle. A small frown appeared on his face when he saw that, but he was too tired to care. He knelt in front of the wash basin situated in the room and began to wash his face and free his hair from the up-do he put it in this morning.

"Sometimes I wonder if I've gotten myself a consort for real," Sammi said when he suddenly entered the room and stopped right at the doorway. 

Kazu looked back over his shoulders with a small roll of his eyes. "I don't think any consort would travel with you through the woods on foot," he said before turning back to brush out his hair looking at Sammi through the looking glass he was facing. 

"Then, I remember your mouth." There was a smile on his lips now, making Kazu wonder what kind of preferences this man had.

"Be happy I didn't tell anybody how much you snored during the nights when they asked me about the kinds of nightly activities we might have, those silly girls."

"I never had the patience for girls' talk," Sammi said with a frown and Kazu took off his outer robe to be comfortable for the night before he got up to let Sammi get his nightly routine done. 

"That's because you never really listen. It's not just gossip. Women know things that are important for a household. Sadly men seldom listen."

Sammi snorted at those words and removed his clothes. "They have to listen, they don#t have to be heard," he murmured.

"Silly, both are important," Kazu scolded. "But I know that you're too thick to understand. It's always a two-sided in all kind of things."

"I can't believe you have the nerve to tell me such a thing! I have no obligation to listen to you!" Sammi said sharper glaring him down. 

Kazu lifted an eyebrow as he pulled back the covers and slid into the futon. "Only the dumb won't listen to others," he said calmly as he pulled the covers back up. 

Sammi got down and put his hand around Kazu's throat. "I should kill you or better, even just make you the thing everybody thinks you are," he whispered.

Kazu looked back with a hard stare without moving from his touch. "You would be dead before you could lay a finger on me," he warned him. "Now why don't you put your heated head in the cold water to calm down? It's not my fault if you're in a foul mood. You could have joined the women and me. The girls would have loved to talk to his lordship."

Sammi opened his mouth to argue but finally realised how serious Kazu was and let him go. He got up and put a hand through his hair, pulling at it almost harshly. "You're right. I was out of line, and I apologise for it," he said with a sigh and finally moved away to get ready for bed. 

Kazu laid still until he could hear Sammi falling asleep beside him. He was sure that he would be able to take the other down, but he had a feeling that he would just run into problems if this man were killed while he was close.


	16. Chapter 16

Kazu ignored Sammi most of the morning as he got slowly ready and then opened the small window to enjoy the fresh breeze and sun on his face. He smiled as he felt the warmth spread over his body and relaxing his tight muscles. 

He packed his bag and just was about to tell Sammi that they probably should leave when he stiffened. He could hear Niji's very urgent voice deep inside his head. "You have to go. People are coming to kill the man you're with and kill you as well!"

"Niji?" he whispered confused as he looked out of the window and just saw the shadow of his dragon there in the sun reflecting the light on its glass body.

"What's up?" Ohno said stiffly when he saw Kazu looking out with wide eyes. "I said I was sorry about yesterday. You don't have to think about killing yourself."

Kazu turned around as he looked at Ohno in confusion. For the moment, the surprise and shock had overridden that memory and annoyance about the night before. 

"I don't know who you are, but I know you are no mere soldier or merchant or whatever you want to tell me. I don't care, but we have to move."

"Huh? Why?"

"They sent people to kill you," Kazu explained.

Ohno opened his eyes as to say something against his words or demand for a proof (which Kazu didn't have admittedly), but he sighed seconds after and nodded. "I should have thought so," he whispered before getting his things. "Then we should go. And I won*t ask you how you know. You sure you are no witch?"

"Very, and does it matter right now?" Kazu asked with a frown. 

Ohno shook his head as he put on his pack and gave Kazu his. "Let's go then," he mumbled and strode outside. Kazu wasn't so sure if it was genius to go out, but they couldn't climb out of the window without getting seen it was too late for that now. Ohno was short worded when he thanked their hosts for the night and declined to stay until breakfast, saying that they had planned for an early start. Kazu bowed deeply in front of them before hurrying after Ohno. They entered the forest soon after and Kazu made sure to call for Niji's guidance.

He prayed for the safety of his dragon, but luckily, Niji was swift and small. It easily could hide just above of the trees out of sighs of any enemy. Also, the enemies were more concentrated in finding them than the looming dragon above them. "This way," Kazu finally whispered when Niji told him which ways were safe and which not.

Kazu dragged Ohno into a cave of a hill, making sure to hide their tracks at the entryway. He could feel Niji coming down to sit in the entry and protect it with his body, which instantly took the colour of the stone around him. "Thank you, my friend," he whispered and smiled when Niji chirped warmly at his words. 

He went further inside and sat on the other end where he found Ohno already being. He put his robes close around himself and closed his eyes. 

"Are you scared?" Ohno asked in a whisper, making him look up again. 

Kazu thought about the question for a second before shaking his head. "No… The entryway was hidden. For people not used to living out here, it would be invisible. You ran almost across from it after all," he said with a small smile, not mentioning that if he was really in a pinch, he and Niji could probably take the men on. It helped that people seemed to underestimate him.

Ohno hummed in understanding and drew his legs closer to his body. The other seemed to be very sure of himself. He carried himself with a confidence that Ohno knew came only with lots of training. Somehow he couldn't even start to imagine how Kazu would look during a fight and somehow he wanted to watch it, as strange as it was.

"Shush now, they are getting closer," Kazu mumbled before standing up again. Ohno watched him getting closer to the entryway again without making any sound, and he tried to hear what the other heard, but it was almost impossible to hear anything besides the blood rushing through his ears. He wanted to call the other back, as he was sure it was safer inside but he didn't want to draw any attention to them and bring the danger even closer. He sighed as he put his head against the cold stone at his back. 

This all meant that Ohno wasn't able to head straight home. Not as openly as he had planned, after all, it also showed that the attack of the beasts and the loss of his men wasn't an accident after all. Ohno honestly wondered if they were killed or made it just look like they were. He knew there were many loyal men to his father, and he had never shown any real interest in the kingdom after all. But he knew one thing for sure. He couldn't let his father continue to do what he did.

Ohno groaned as he hid his face in his hands as he rubbed his it harshly. He hated thinking about all this. It didn't make sense, nor did it change anything. 

"Could you keep silent?" Kazu hissed softly at him as he looked outside with a concentrated look on his face. His stance was strained and concentrated as he looked out. There was a staff in his hand and for a second Ohno wondered where it was from, but he supposed it was from somewhere in this cave they were in. He was getting paranoid for the strangest of reasons he thought with a small sigh.

Nino had been the person who had already rescued him that one time and nurtured him back to health which hadn't been easy. It would have been so much easier for him to leave him there to die. And everything he had done was thinking that somewhen in his sleep Nino would murder him or bring him somewhere where other people would do it. It was stupid, really. But it didn't help that Nino was so enticing without seemingly even to realise the effect he had on Ohno. 

"They seem to be gone," Kazu mumbled after a while of looking outside to see if something or someone moved. His stance relaxed only a bit, and he moved back to where Ohno was still seated. He tilted his head and knelt in front of him. "Why are they looking for you?" he asked carefully. 

Ohno shrugged slightly at the question before sighing softly. "I honestly don't know. It seems as if they want me dead, but I'm not too sure why that is," he said truthfully. He didn't understand why his father would want him dead, but that seemed to be going on. 

He tugged at his hair a bit unhappily before standing up. "I would love to know, though. We need to go to the main city, I believe, but it will be more dangerous than I had feared. I would understand if you won't accompany me further," Ohno said with a small bow of his head.

Nino shrugged his shoulders, watching him going in circles. "I need to go there myself, I believe. So I would track along without a problem. But I believe it will be foolish to go there right away," Nino said with a soft smile as he stood again. He rubbed his chin deep in thought before turning to the opening. "We should leave. As homey as this place is, it would be in our disadvantage if we fell asleep here and were to be ambushed here."

"You really make me wonder about your upbringing," Ohno mumbled as he watched him going to the opening again this time urging him along. 

"Why? Do you still think I'm a witch?"

"No, just a very peculiar person who knows lots of things he shouldn't if he was a son of a mere farmers hand."

"I never said I was that," Nino replied with a small smile and a shook of his head. 

Ohno hummed in wonder as he realised that to be true. "And I suppose you won't tell me who you are?"

Nino grinned cheekily at the question, before tilting his head to the right. "Are you going to tell me who you really are?"

Ohno grimaced at that since he wasn't ready to tell the other yet about it. There was still too much suspicion in him for that.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because Pupi tends to poke me to write XD

“I have a question,” Ohno said when they settled down in the cave after the soldiers were gone. They had decided to stay here the night and plan for the next few days.

“What question?” Nino asked, looking over at him. Niji was still in front of the opening of the cave, making sure that they were safe and he could feel his calmness seeping through their connection. 

“Can you use a staff to fight?”

“I would’ve been silly if I didn’t,” he said with a sigh. He moved his shoulder in a small shrug as he watched the opening for any signs of Niji as he decided what to tell. “I was taught how to fight,” he said in the end. “I can use other things as well, but since we are in a forest, the stick was easy to get,” he said with a small smile. 

“Don’t you carry weapons on you?”

“Where should I hide them. You’ve seen me naked, and you’ve gone through my pack. Did anything look like a weapon?” Nino scoffed at his question and looked back at him with a lifted eyebrow. 

Ohno blushed slightly at the memory and shook his head. “No, you are right. I was just wondering since the staff had been just the right length and width.”

“Again, you are comparing me with a witch. I come to think that you wish to meet a witch and I have to question why. Do you want to kill it or do you want to bring it into the main city to get recognition for whatever reason? Or do you want to use it?”

“I just never met someone like you,” Ohno mumbled with a sigh. “I’m sorry, I really don’t think you are a witch. I don’t even believe they exist. They are just a story to scare the little ones. Same with monsters, dragons or Gods,” he mumbled. 

Nino hummed slightly at the words. “Monsters always exist; they just wear different kinds of skin, and they might look not like you think they should.”

Ohno looked up in confusion, but then he just nodded in understanding. Nino knew at least more about the forest than he did so he probably knew what he was talking about. 

“You can use my sword if we are ever in a pinch,” he offered. 

“I would prefer you to use your weapon if there is any danger. I also don’t like using swords. I’m more used to any staffs or throwing weapons.” Nino saw in Ohno’s face that he thought his choice of weapon to be weak, cowardly and for a woman but he didn’t care. He was trained to fight side by side with a dragon, weapons with a broader range were more logical to use than swords or daggers.

At least Ohno was smart enough not to say his thoughts out loud, Nino thought as Ohno just nodded and accepted his words. “So ever used a naginata?”

Kazu laughed as he nodded softly. “Yes, it’s the most beautiful weapon to use,” he agreed mournfully when he remembered the perfect one he had used during his training with the dragons. 

Ohno shook his head with an amused grin. He knew that he probably should be more worried; not everybody was allowed to carry weapons nowadays. But that would be unfair, Nino had rescued him more than once now. 

They stayed in silence for a bit before Nino sighed deeply. He felt tired even if it wasn’t that late yet, but with all that excitement, he probably shouldn’t be that surprised. “So we have to travel while hiding,” he said, looking at Ohno. 

“Yeah, it seems like that,” Ohno groaned. “We have to be more careful now than we have been before. I’m sorry for all the problems I’m causing you.”

Nino shrugged. He could travel more or less open because he supposed nobody knew him, but with Niji it wasn’t that easy as well. He felt more comfortable to keep hidden. “I’m fine with it. But not for today. Today we’ll stay here and tomorrow early in the morning we can start anew.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ohno agreed. 

Nino nodded as he stood to retrieve his bag and pull out the maps he had. “They are not the newest ones, but they have small towns drawn that are probably safer,” Nino said as he put them on the floor to kneel over them looking them over. He put a long strand of hair behind his ear, glancing at Ohno. He knew that those were safer towns they were the towns his family had trusted until the very end, the ones that had traded with them and didn’t tell on them, hopefully at least. 

Ohno observed Nino blinking as he realised that he was staring at his butt that looked very nicely accented with the way Nino knelt. “Okay?”

“I want you to check for a way we could take to the main city or wherever you think we could go without you being killed. I need to get out and get us something to eat for dinner. We left in such a hurry that we don’t have anything with us. I won’t be recognised as easily as you.”

“What about a fire?”

“Should be fine if it’s small and at the back. I don’t want to freeze to death tonight it will be cold. There are sticks inside, and I really would be happy if you would promise me to stay here.”

Ohno nodded with a serious face, which made Nino smile thankfully. He was still sure that if Ohno died while he was with him, he would be the next put on trial because people knew they travelled together and he couldn’t hide his face forever.

“Take that staff with you,” Ohno mumbled, and Nino agreed as he went to the opening of the cave to take the staff and then leave. 

Outside he stopped taking Niji’s snout between his hands. “Protect the opening,” he asked the dragon. Niji grumbled slightly as he wanted to follow Nino and make sure that he was alright. “If this man dies, we might get into problems, warn me if the men come close again.”

“Okay, I follow your orders,” Niji said with a pout, which made Nino laugh slightly. 

“I will hurry and bring you something as well.”

“I can hunt,” Niji disagreed being worried about his human, but Nino shook his head. 

“I will feel more comfortable if you don’t eave me tonight.”

Nino could see Niji fight with himself probably wanting to tell him that he could go hungry but decided against him. Nino nodded proudly as he caressed the snout softly. Then he took a deep breath before leaving Niji and Ohno behind to get them the food. 

—

The night had been gone calmly. Nino was sure that Ohno hasn’t slept a wink, but he felt rested, mostly because he trusted Niji to warn him whenever someone would get close. 

Nino woke up to the smell of tea leaves and smiled thankfully at Ohno when the other offered him a cup. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You seemed to have rested well.”

“Yes, I thought one of us would be enough to stay awake all night,” Nino said in a teasing voice as he put out the rest of the food he had gotten the day before. They ate in silence, and Nino packed his things back up. 

“Can you hide your sword?”

Ohno nodded before wrapping it in cloth and put it away in a way that people wouldn’t see directly that he carried a sword with him. He offered Nino the map with the markings he had made for their new journey which Nino studied for a bit. “Okay then let’s go,” he decided as he put them away in the folds of his kimono.

“What about your small lizard? Did you lose it because of me?” Ohno asked when they left the cave. 

“Huh?” Kazu asked in confusion as he looked over his shoulder to Ohno. “Oh, Niji,” he asked as he remembered that Ohno had seen Niji once. For a second, he didn’t know what to say, but then he felt Niji’s magic surrounding him and felt the small dragon slid on his shoulder as it shrank to its lizard form. “No, it stayed safe with me,” Nino whispered as he put his hand to his shoulder for Niji to climb on. 

“He slept under the folds of my collar. He likes it there; it’s warm and dark,” he mumbled as he stroked Niji’s head. Thanking him silently for his protection during the night.

“Good,” Ohno seemed to be honestly happy as he looked at the small lizard. Nino smiled as he let Niji hide again and curl up around his neck to take a nap. Nino knew Niji chose that place because he was the most comfortable there, but also because his skin would protect Nino if anybody were trying to put a sword through his neck from behind. 

They exchanged little words since Ohno was still sleepy. Nino didn’t are he made sure to get the right path to the small town Ohno had chosen as a first resting place and carefully nudged Niji awake.

“Can you tell me if it’s safe?” he whispered carefully keeping his eyes on Ohno to make sure he wouldn’t see him talk. 

“It should be.”

Nino hummed in thanks at his answer before he followed Ohno to the town. 

“Nino?” he heard a yell suddenly and stopped in his tracks as he turned on his heels from where the husky voice came. Ohno stopped as well looking at Nino before his eyes fell on the stranger. Nino froze as he looked the man over. His face was slightly scared, and there was a burnt mark on his arm as well, but still, Nino still recognised him quickly. 

His mouth fell open as he took a few steps closer to the man whose whole face lightened up when he got a better look of him. 

“It’s you,” he said happily as he got closer in quick steps embracing Nino suddenly who couldn’t help himself when the warm arms surrounded him and held him tightly.

“I thought you died,” Kazu choked as he hid his face, trying hard not to cry.


	18. Chapter 18

Kazu wiped his eyes when the other let him go. The man smiled brightly as he patted his hair. "How did you survive, Masaki?" he asked slowly. 

Masaki was about to answer when they remembered Sammy, who was looking at them from a distance. Masaki's eyes hardened slightly as he looked him over. "What are you doing here with him?"

Kazu blinked a bit confused before looking at Sammy with a small frown. "I rescued him from being killed by a horde of wolves," he whispered. "We run into a few problems, but he promised me to bring me to the main city."

"I see," Masaki mumbled before smiling softly. "You both look like you need a place to sleep for tonight."

"That would be nice," Kazu nodded with a relieved smile.

Sammy coughed softly, making Kazu look back at him. "I don't want to disturb your heart-rending reunion but are you sure you can trust this person?" 

Kazu's eyes hardened as he turned around entirely. He crossed his arms in front of his body, looking Sammy over. The Aiba's had always sworn his family loyalty and Masaki had been his childhood friend from when he had been little helping him more than once. There had been talking about letting people think Masaki was him so that he would be safe. "I trust him more than you, as I know who he is," he said calmly.

Sammy snorted slightly at those words. "You mean, you knew him. You don't know."

"God, I don't know what's wrong with you now. I will trust Masaki with my life and yours. You were the one that brought those men upon us, and I honestly don't care what you are going to do, but you promised me to trust me from now on."

Sammy looked at them, and Kazu could see the fighting within him. He honestly didn't know what was wrong with him and why he reacted so awful to Aiba, but he didn't care. He would not back down now. In the end, Sammy deflated slightly before he nodded.

"You are right. I apologise for my reaction."

"Apology accepted. Come now, I normally stay with the priests in the monastery, but I have a small house on the edge of town," Masaki said as he tugged Kazu's hand in his softly to make him follow.

Kazu smiled as this was just like in the past when he had been too fearful of going anywhere without his parents. Masaki had always taken his hand, and together, they went to discover their small world around their home. It was thanks to Masaki that he had known how to survive the first days. 

Soon they arrived at the small hut close to the forest. It looked small, but there was smoke coming from a hole that promised them warmth inside. "Close to here is a warm spring. So you can soak in there and relax," Aiba offered them. "After dark, nobody will go there. In fact, it's empty most of the time because it's a bit out of the way of town."

"Sounds good," Kazu agreed as they entered the room and he put down his small pack close to the fireplace. He picked Niji from its hiding place, caressing its head as he looked it over to make sure the little lizard was all fine. He then put it down close to the fire so that it could soak up the heat. He knew that Niji loved the heat and he wanted it to enjoy a bit of pampering after protecting them so well yesterday. He stood again and met Masaki's eyes, which widened slightly with understanding crossing them. He wanted to talk so badly with the other about everything, but he knew that it wasn't possible with Sammy around the corner. 

"My lord, do you want to relax in hot water first while we prepare the food for dinner."

Sammy's eyes tightened slightly at his words and for a second Kazu feared that he would deny them the time alone but after a few seconds the tightness in his shoulders lessened and he nodded. "That would be wonderful. If you could show me the way, Masaki-san."

"Of course, Kazu will you be alright here?"

"Yes." Kazu smiled as he watched Sammy take out a new kimono from his pack and vanished behind Masaki outside. Kazu sighed as he sat down in front of the fire looking at Niji who moved forward to emerge in it. "You worry," the dragon said.

Kazu chuckled softly as he put a hand through his hair. "Of course. I might put Masaki in danger, yet again. But I'm too happy to have met him again to ignore him now."

"It's his decision to do not yours, it always is."

Kazu nodded with a hum as he lifted his head to look outside where the sun was going down. "I know."

—

Kazu looked up from his place in front of the window when Masaki came back. "I found some tea leaves and prepared the hot water."

"Good," Masaki said as he pulled out some mugs and put them on the table as Kazu poured the tea inside. He sighed as he sat and just looked at Kazu for a while. 

"You almost haven't changed since then," he said finally. Kazu blushed slightly as he looked at the table. He took the warm mug in his hands. "But I can sense that you've grown a lot. So you were safe then?"

"I found Niji, and I wanted to bring him somewhere safe. The dragons kept me and trained me," Kazu explained softly before he looked up. A small frown appeared on his face as his eyes fell to the scaring on Masaki's cheek and neck. He lifted his hand to stroke the disfigured skin sadly. "You got hurt. How did you survive?"

"Your mother couldn't stand the thought of an innocent child dying. Your grandfather got to you and sent you away, right?"

"Yeah, he told me to run and not to look back until I'm safe. He wanted me to survive. I didn't know why, but I was scared and did as I was told."

"That was very brave of you. Your mother used the last she had of her magic inside to send me somewhere. She wanted to bring me close to you because I wanted to help you, but it didn't seem to have worked, huh? The priests found me, and they took care of the burn marks and took care of me."

"They are good people then?"

Masaki shrugged with a little sigh. "In a way, yes. Do you know who you rescued?"

Kazu shook his head, nibbling on his lower lip. "No, but he was the first human I saw after I had to leave the dragons. I couldn't let him die just like that, and I healed him. He doesn't know who I am either or that I can use magic or that Niji is a dragon," he mumbled before he drank the tea slowly. 

"That's good then," Masaki breathed before he pulled softly at his hair. "How did you end up here?"

"People are trying to kill him, Niji warned me, and we hid last night before choosing a new route with the help of the old maps."

Masaki sighed softly as he drank his tea. "And what is your plan now?"

"Sammy promised me to bring me to the main city. I don't know yet what I will do there, but I was told that I have to go there."

Masaki hummed in understanding. He took his hand in his own and squeezed it slightly. "Then, I will go with you. I want to make sure you are safe."

"But what about your life here?"

Masaki shrugged slightly as he looked over Nino with a sigh. "I'm spending my days here close to the forest, sometimes I help at the monastery, and I try my best to heal the people and animals, but honestly they don't need me here."

"But it might be dangerous. I can't bring you to a dangerous place. Not again," Kazu said, his fingers going back to the burnt mark on Aiba's shoulder. His finger's tingled he wanted to do anything, but it would be too hard to explain, and he didn't know if he would be able to heal the scarred skin. There was a pain in Masaki's eyes as he looked him over, and he wanted to say something as the door was opened suddenly. 

Both men flinched as they moved their heads looking at Ohno who was standing there with a dark look on his face, again. "I would say I'm sorry to disturb you, but I didn't know how close you were."

Kazu frowned at his words in confusion as he stood. "I prepared tea, please have some," he mumbled as he poured the hot water in a third mug. Niji came close to him again, and he put him on his shoulder. Masaki was watching Sammy with a slight grin on his face when he was met with the dark glare of Sammy.

"Kazu do you want to use the hot spring as well? It will relax you."

"That sounds good. But shouldn't I help with the food?"

"Nah I can do it myself. It will be ready when you are back. I will make some stew, so take your time."

Kazu smiled as he nodded. That sounded actually very good. Masaki got up to pull out a new kimono for his friend. "I will wash your clothes after dinner," he offered as he caressed Kazu's head, actually enjoying the teasing of Sammy without Kazu realising what he did. For the younger, it was just as if they were still little, running together through the wilds and spending every waking hour together.

"I can do it myself," Kazu mumbled a bit ashamed of the pampering, but Masaki shook his head. 

"For today I want you to relax. You look worn out, and if your companion stops glaring at me, I might do the same for him."

"Okay, then thank you." Masaki sighed as he led Kazu outside and showed him the path to the spring. Kazu put off his garments, handing them over to his friend before sinking into the warm water with a sigh. 

"I will leave you alone now. Please take all the time you need."

Kazu smiled as he nodded and Niji slid off his shoulder, settle down beside him. Masaki vanished since he knew that Kazu would need time alone to reconcile with nature and Gods. Niji watched over Kazu as he transformed in his dragon form, making it clear that he would look after him.


End file.
